SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University softball team faced the Beacons of Bushnell University on Saturday for their second doubleheader in as many days against the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) foe. After sweeping day one of the series, the Navy and Gold suffered a tight conference loss by the score of 6-5 to the Beacons before finishing the set with a 10-2 blowout victory. 

In the top of the first inning of game one, the Beacons began with an early lead after Noel Balderston reached base on a single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. She moved up to third on a ground out by Kerry Murphy, and subsequently scored on a throwing error by Warrior starter Ally Crakes.

Corban quickly responded, as they pushed across three runs in the bottom half of the stanza. Kaylee Buhrkuhl reached on a bunt single, and scored on an RBI two-base hit off of the scorching hot bat of Ivey Uppinghouse. Following the two-bagger, Madison Wyllie belted a two-run shot to make the lead 3-1 in Corban's favor.

The Warriors would allow a run to score in the top of the fourth on a throwing error, which cut the lead in half.

Luckily for the Navy and Gold, they got their run back in the same frame, as Makiah Johnson drove in Kaycee Arase for the fourth Corban run of the game on a single to left field.

That was when Bushnell made their push, as they started the fifth stanza with a hit-by-pitch and a single that both ended up scoring on another Warrior throwing error and then an RBI single by Jordan Kuykendall made it a three-run inning for the Beacons. They led 5-4 entering the bottom of the fifth.

Corban would pick up a run in the fifth, as they got an RBI single from Sophia Barbosa that pushed Anastasia Iosia across the plate to tie the score.

Each team went down in order in the sixth, before the Beacons added a run in the seventh on a single from Kuykendall into right field.

The run in the seventh from Bushnell proved to be too much for the Warriors, as they could not score in the bottom of the frame, giving Bushnell a 6-5 CCC victory over Corban.

Ally Crakes was tagged with the loss for Corban as she went 6.2 innings and allowed just one earned run (five unearned) and six hits. She tallied nine strikeouts, as she pitched well in the circle throughout the game.

Miranda Jensen snagged the victory in the day's first game, as she gave up five runs and 10 hits, striking out four.

Game two featured an offensive explosion from Corban, as they scored two runs on the first inning to start off strong. Megan Rybar hit an RBI single that resulted in a second run being scored on a throwing error by Bushnell. 

The Warriors added four more in the third, as they were aided by a two-run double by Wyllie, a run scored on an error, and a RBI groundout by Iosia.

The Navy and Gold allowed a run in the fourth to the Beacons on a solo shot by Anabel Mendez, making it a 6-1 Corban advantage.

The Warriors would strike back with two in the bottom of the fourth, when Makiah Johnson hit her second dinger in as many days. This one was a two-run blast off the barrel of Johnson.

Mendez would score for Bushnell in the top of the sixth on a fielding error, but that would be the last of the Beacons' scoring for the game.

Corban ended it in the sixth as they walked it off on a wild RBI triple by Kaylee Buhrkuhl that  was a disastrous play for the Beacons as Buhrkuhl was allowed to score on a throwing error by the Bushnell right fielder.

Holly Gonzales pitched brilliantly for the Warriors, as she matched Crakes, allowing just one earned run (one unearned) and five hits in the complete-game effort.

Bushnell starter Sam Silver was roughed up a bit, as she allowed four earned runs (four unearned) and five hits in four innings, before being replaced by Kuykendall in the circle.

Johnson was a catalyst for the Warrior offense once again, as she was 2-for-2 with four runs scored in game two of the day.

Kuykendall drove in two runs for the Beacons on the day, which led the squad.

Corban (22-16, 14-7 CCC) will be facing Northwest University at home for senior weekend, and will hope to pick up four more wins before their final series of the season on the road in Ashland against SOU.

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