LINCOLN, Calif. – Another pair of tough losses were in store this afternoon for the Corban University Softball team (0-4, 0-0), as the Warriors fell in two four-run games to Menlo College (2-3, 0-0) and No. 21 Jessup University (6-1, 0-0) by final scores of 6-2 and 7-3, respectively.
"Proud of the girls today as they started to piece things together at the plate and string some hits throughout the day," Warriors' Head Coach Danyelle Huber stated following the results from Wilson Park this afternoon. "Overall, from a team perspective over our first couple of outings, the team has really started to make a turn for the better and the momentum is on our side."
Game 1 – Menlo 5, Corban 2
After a doubleheader last weekend that saw just three baserunners for the Navy and Gold all day, sophomore outfielder Jody Fischer wasted no time reaching base in the opener of Corban's four-game swing with the Oaks and Warriors, as the slap hitter sped her way to first base and before everyone knew he, she had stolen second and third base on two additional pitches.
After a walk for junior catcher Morgan Gleeson, junior first baseman Paia'ala Wilcox-Molina drove a pitch just far enough into the outfield for Fisher to tag and score from third, resulting in the Warriors first run of the 2023 season.
Despite an opening strikeout for freshman starting pitcher Amy Jankowski, the Oaks struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to an inside-the-park home run from first baseman Grace Christian that just narrowly stayed in fair territory up the third baseline and allowed the two runners at second and third to score.
The Warriors were able to repeat their success in the first inning again in the top of the third, as Fischer crossed the plate once again via a sacrifice fly ball, this time off the bat of junior right fielder Samantha Martinez that put Corban within a run, trailing 3-2.
Menlo was able to earn a run back in the bottom of the fourth but would forfeit a run to follow in the inning, as Fischer made an incredible sliding catch and doubled up the runner at third base that tried to tag, who would be called out for leaving early and end the Oaks offensive threat.
Christian came around to score again in the bottom of the fifth inning, as a triple from the righty hit the fence and put her in scoring position with two outs in the frame. The very next at bat, third baseman Hailey Roloff hit a hard groundball that resulted in reaching via an error, scoring Christian unearned, as the Oaks were finally able to find consistency against Warriors' sophomore relief pitcher Emmaleena Wood in the back half of this contest.
After Wood allowed a bases loaded walk, the Warriors were able to escape the inning with a snow cone catch from Martinez in shallow right field and lead to the top of the sixth inning with a 6-2 deficit. Both teams went down quietly in the sixth, and a three-up/three-down top of the seventh led to the third-straight loss to start the 2023 season for the Navy and Gold.
Jankowski took the loss in her first collegiate start for Corban, throwing 2.1 innings and giving up four runs on four hits, two walks, and a hit batter. She struck out a pair of Oaks' batters along the way. Wood threw the remaining 3.2 innings for the Warriors and struck out just one hitter, allowing two more runs on three hits and walking two batters.
Fischer swung the most consistent bat in the tourney opener for Corban, earning one of the two team hits and scoring both runs by the offense. She also stole a game-high three bases on the paths. Gleeson was responsible for the only other hit in the game by the Warriors, earning a walk as well.
Menlo starting pitcher Ayanna Rubio earned her first win on the season by throwing 4.0 innings of two-run ball, walking two runners, hitting another, and striking out a game-high seven batters. Relief pitcher Gabby de Leon closed out the contest with a perfect 9-for-9 on putouts, as she allowed no hits, no runs, and struck out a single hitter along the way.
Christian's two hits proved to be the game-high for the afternoon and was responsible for three RBI in the process. She also scored three runs all on her own to single-handedly earn the victory for the Oaks.
Game 2 – #21 Jessup 7, Corban 3
The host Warriors were the first to earn a hit against Corban freshman starting pitcher Vanessa Hulett-Quinones, but their two-baserunner inning was spoiled after Hulett-Quinones induced a groundout and lineout to end the inning unscathed.
Corban was able to strike first in the top of the second with two outs, as a triple down the leftfield line from junior leftfielder California Johnson put a runner in scoring position, and a single to follow from Fischer scored Johnson for a 1-0 lead. The visiting Warriors doubled their lead on the next at-bat, with Fischer scooting all the way to third on back-to-back stolen bases and then scoring on a single from Gleeson, providing the Navy and Gold with a 2-0 lead entering the bottom of the third.
Jessup quickly tied the contest in their half of the frame, utilizing a leadoff single followed by a double and another single to score a pair of runs and lock this contest at 2-all at almost the midway point of the afternoon.
However, the road Warriors refused to give up that easily this time around, as Martinez tripled to open the top of the fourth inning and scored the very next pitch on a beautifully placed bunt from freshman catcher Katie Betz, allowing the run to score and Betz to reach first base safely. The hometown Warriors were able to end the inning four batters later, but now trailing 3-2 at Wilson Park.
Both Warrior squads continued to trade blows back-and-forth with each frame flip, with Jessup tying everything up once again on a sacrifice fly from centerfielder Neva Adams. Right fielder Olivia Dominguez provided the home team with their first lead of the day on the next at bat, as a confusing play at first base that was originally recorded as an out for Corban was reversed to score the runner from third and put Dominguez at first base, after both teams had already cleared the field, giving Jessup the 4-3 lead after four innings of action.
The home squad tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to cement their victory this evening, scoring a trio of unearned runs on a pair of Corban fielding errors to take a 7-3 lead that ended up holding for the remainder of the afternoon, with the No. 21-ranked Warriors winning in the two teams' first matchup this weekend.
Hulett-Quinones (0-2) took her second loss on the season by allowing seven runs off seven hits in 4.1 innings of work, only four of which crossed the plate as earned for Jessup. Junior relief pitcher Madison Russell took over for the remaining 1.2 innings to allow just three hits with no runs scored.
Fischer continued to pace the Corban offense from the leadoff spot in game two against Jessup, tallying a pair of hits, scoring a run, knocking in an RBI, and stealing two more bases to snag five on the day. Gleeson and Martinez each recorded a hit as well, while Johnson scored a run and earned a hit.
Jessup starting pitcher Katie Blankenheim pitched a complete game of 7.0 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and striking out just one batter for her third win of the season.
Leftfielder Lexi Watson was responsible for a game-high three hits, scoring a pair of runs herself and via two RBI as well to lead the Jessup squad to victory. Dominguez also tacked on two hits, two RBI, and a run scored as well.
Corban will play both Menlo and Jessup once again tomorrow morning, starting slightly earlier at 10am PST and then again at 12pm PST before the Navy and Gold make the return trip back to Salem.
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