RICHLAND, Wash. – The Corban University Softball team went 2-for-2 on day one of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Crossover Tournament, winning comfortably in game one over Carroll College in five innings, 10-1, while using heroics in game two of the day to take down Eastern Oregon University, 5-3.
"The girls played with a lot of intensity today and pulled out a couple good wins against two solid teams," said Corban head coach Nathan Ohta. "It was a team effort and a combination of good pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting. When you do all that well, you usually get a good result and I thought the girls did a nice job in all three areas today."
In game one of the day against Carrol, the Warriors jumped out to an early 3-0 lead after the first inning and never looked back, cruising to a 10-1 triumph in just five innings.
In the victory, junior center fielder Taylor Eilders (Cameron Park, Calif.) and freshman right fielder Grace Utto-Galarneau (Lacey, Wash.) both blasted homeruns. In addition, sophomore Raina Reece (Salem, Ore.) registered a big two-RBI double for the Warriors in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach.
In the circle, it was senior pitcher Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho) who earned the win, pitching four innings while allowing one hits and no runs, striking out three in the process.
At the dish, Reece and Eilders both tallied two hits apiece, with Reece leading the team with three RBI. Junior shortstop Iris Rodriguez (Warden, Wash.) also had a nice game with two RBI and a hit.
In the second game of the day, Corban took the early 2-1 advantage, but EOU bounced back and tied the game at 2-2 midway through the contest.
It came down to the seventh and final frame, in which the Warriors got two runners on base for Utto-Galarneau, and the rookie came through in the clutch for the Navy and Gold, blasting a three-run home run over the wall to give Corban a 5-2 advantage.
Senior pitcher Emily Buhrkuhl (Stockton, Calif.) earned the win in relief for the Warriors, and sophomore pitcher Sabrina Boyd (Pleasant Hill, Ore.) collected the final two outs with the tying run at first base, earning the save. Junior pitcher Allie Mendez (Stockton, Calif.) started the game and went five innings, dispersing six hits and two runs in the no-decision.
At the plate, Eilders tallied another couple of hits for the Warriors, while Utto-Galarneau led the way with the three RBI thanks to the game-winning home run.
Corban (12-6) finishes the CCC Crossover Tournament on Sunday when it plays three games. The first is set for a 10 a.m. start vs. Walla Walla University, while the Warriors will then take on Carroll again at 12 p.m. and EOU for a second time at 2 p.m. before heading back to Salem.
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