SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University softball team was unable to find the big hit it needed in Friday afternoon's series opener against Eastern Oregon University, as the squad's comeback attempt fell just short in the 6-5 defeat. The Warriors responded with an impressive all-around performance in game two, riding three homers and a complete-game shutout from Ally Crakes to a 6-0 triumph.

The Mountaineers got off to a quick start in the series opener, scoring three runs in the first half inning. Warrior miscues aided the early rally, as Corban committed an error, surrendered two walks, and tallied a pair of wild pitches to extend the frame.

Corban got two of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning, with Makiah Johnson—who reached via a leadoff triple—coming around to score on an RBI groundout from Megan Rybar. A couple of batters later, Sophia Barbosa laced a run-scoring double into the gap to score Madison Wyllie.

Alaina Wright extended the Mountie lead to 4-2 with a run-scoring single to left in the top of the fourth, but Corban would once again pull within one in the bottom of the fifth. It was Wyllie who delivered the big knock in the fifth for the Navy and Gold, hooking a single into left field to plate Rybar.

Eastern grabbed a couple of pivotal insurance runs in the top of the seventh, forcing the hometown Warriors into a three-run hole as they went to the plate for the final time.

Looking to conjure the same seventh-inning magic that led to a come-from-behind win in the series opener against Providence last weekend, Corban brought the tying run to the plate in the form of Rybar, who stepped into the box with two runners in scoring position.

The Warrior three-hitter—who had already collected a pair of hits in the contest—blasted a shot to left that looked destined to find the bleachers. In an incredible play, Mountaineer left fielder Madison Parker drifted back on the long fly ball, and reached over the fence to rob Rybar of what would have been a game-tying home run.

Johnson came home to score on the sac fly, and an addition run would come home on another RBI single from Wyllie a few batters later, once again bringing the Navy and Gold within a run.

Though the Warriors loaded the bases with two outs in the frame, Mountaineer shortstop Madison Stateler was able to backhand a hot shot from Samantha Martinez and throw on to first to seal the complete-game victory for EOU starter Amanda Smith.

While Corban struggled to find the big knock it needed in game one, timely hits were aplenty for the squad in the second contest of the day.

A wild pitch from Mountie pitcher Kayla Berg led the Corban's first run of the game in the bottom of the first. The Navy and Gold added another in the following stanza, this time courtesy of Tatiana Liu's first career home run, a skyscraping blast to left-center.

The long ball trend continued in sixth for the Warriors, as both Ivey Uppinghouse and Buhrkuhl left the yard to pad the lead. Uppinghouse's solo shot was a laser to dead center, while Buhrkuhl's towering three-run shot to left effectively put the game out of reach.

That was plenty of support for Ally Crakes, who turned in her best performance of the year in the circle at a time when the Warriors needed it most. The southpaw twirled a complete-game shutout, scattering just four Mountaineer hits and striking out four.

Corban (17-11, 11-3 CCC) and Eastern Oregon (10-18, 6-8 CCC) will be back in action tomorrow, competing in another doubleheader. The first contest of the day is schedule to start at 11 a.m. at Warrior Field.