ASHLAND, Ore. – The Corban University softball team staved off elimination in Saturday's opener, but the Warriors eventually fell in the nightcap and were eliminated from the 2016 Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament, ending Corban's season in the process. After defeating Carroll College, 10-3, the Warriors were doomed by too many defensive mistakes against No. 20 Southern Oregon University in a 16-5 loss.
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"The girls played hard today and gave a great effort," said Corban head coach Nathan Ohta. "We ran out of gas a little bit fighting back through the bracket, but it was another great season. We will miss the four seniors that were a big part of our program, but we have a lot to look forward to next year as well. I'm proud of our team, how they represented Christ, Corban, and our softball program this season."
Corban kept its season alive on Saturday in its first game of the day with a 10-3 triumph over Carroll College, eliminating the Fighting Saints (24-22) in the process. It was a big seven-run first inning for the Warriors that ultimately proved to be the difference, putting Carroll in too big of a hole to climb out of, resulting in the end of Carroll's season.
Corban sophomore outfielder Maddy Melton (Salem, Ore.) led the way for Corban in the win, going 3-for-5 for the Navy and Gold while scoring one run. The Warriors totaled eight hits in the win, as five other players recorded key hits individually in the victory for Corban.
Junior first baseman Allie Mendez (Stockton, Calif.) went 1-for-3 for the Warriors with one RBI and one run scored, while junior shortstop Iris Rodriguez (Warden, Wash.) notched one hit with two runs scored. Also scoring two runs in the victory was freshman second baseman McKenzie Giancola (Clackamas, Ore.), and she hit a key triple for Corban late in the contest, helping secure the triumph. Additionally, junior Paige Martin (Portland, Ore.) ripped a double and scored a run for the Warriors.
Corban (35-19) was solid overall defensively, making just one error, while Carroll was not as good, making four errors in the costly seven-run first frame.
Earning the win for the Navy and Gold was senior pitcher Jessica Holsinger (Eagle, Idaho), as she tossed six innings, dispersing six hits while allowing three runs, only two of which were earned. She also struck out three Fighting Saints' batters in the triumph.
In game two vs. Southern Oregon, the Raiders jumped on top in the first frame with one run, and then added three more runs in the second inning to take the early 4-0 advantage. Corban responded in the third inning with two runs of its own, halving the deficit.
SOU responded in the fourth with three runs to push the lead to 7-2, but once again, Corban fought right back and scored three more runs to make it a 7-5 ballgame.
The floodgates opened up for the Raiders in the fifth inning, however, as SOU scored nine runs in the frame, taking advantage of a number of Warrior errors en route to extending the lead to 16-5.
Corban was unable to respond in the bottom half of the inning, resulting in the five-frame defeat.
For the Warriors, it was Melton once again leading the way with a 2-for-2 showing at the plate with one run scored in the loss, while Rodriguez went 2-for-3 with a team-best two RBI and one run scored.
SOU totaled 12 hits in the game to Corban's 10, but the biggest difference of the game was the number of errors Corban made. In total, the Warriors committed seven errors, resulting in 11 unearned runs.
Corban finishes the 2016 campaign with a 35-19 overall record.
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