HILLSBORO, Ore. – After dropping the first game of the day, the Corban University softball team bounced back in game two on Saturday to defeat Northwest University (Wash.), earning the three games to one series win over the Eagles. Northwest won the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) opener, 3-1, while Corban dominated and won the nightcap, 8-2.
On top of the overall series victory, the Warriors also claimed the CCC series victory, two games to one.
In Saturday's opener, Corban left a number of base-runners stranded throughout the contest, and it ultimately came back to bite them as Northwest's Stephanie Granger was able to go the distance, allowing just one run on seven hits in the 3-1 triumph. Savannah Rush led the way at the dish for the Eagles (6-10, 2-5 CCC) in the win with a pair of hits.
Game two was a different story, as Iris Rodriguez put the Warriors up 1-0 in the first with an RBI double. Allie Mendez then made it 3-0 on a two-RBI double to left field in the third, but the Eagles pulled one back in the fourth and one in the fifth to make it a one-run ballgame.
The Warrior bats then woke up in the fifth frame, piling on five runs to extend the advantage to a comfortable six-run lead. Both Aubrene Blas and Chaleigh Kirkwood came through with clutch pinch-hit RBI base knocks in that decisive fifth inning, and from that point forward, Mendez closed the door in the circle.
Mendez went the distance to earn her eighth win of the season, allowing just four hits and two runs, only one of which was earned. On top of her winning pitching performance, Mendez also went a team-best 2-for-3 at the dish with two RBI.
"We did not execute in any area of the game in game one and it showed in the score and outcome of the game," said Corban head coach Abigail Farler. "I thought we did a good job of learning from some of our mistakes in game one and adjusting in game two. Our pinch-hitters did a phenomenal job in game two which was a huge ask for us."
Corban (17-2, 5-1 CCC) returns to the field tomorrow when it hosts No. 6-ranked Simpson University for an 11 a.m. doubleheader. Games are set to be played at Rosemont Middle School in West Linn, Ore. Live stats will be available online.
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