MEDFORD, Ore. – Déjà vu final scores were in store for the Corban University Softball team (0-2, 0-0) in their doubleheader season opener against the RV Vanguard University Lions (3-3, 0-0) falling 3-0 in both games by earning only a single hit at U.S. Cellular Park to begin the 2023 slate.
"Tough first couple games up at the plate," Warriors' Head Coach Danyelle Huber shared shortly after her team's first doubleheader of the season. "Always something to learn from in the early parts of the season. The defense came ready, and the pitchers looked great! Looking forward to more opportunities in the coming weeks."
Game 1 – (RV) VU 3, CRB 0
It was a rough start to kick off the first inning for Warriors' junior starting pitcher Alise Olson, who promptly walked the first three batters to put herself into a bases loaded jam with no outs. However, she was able to buckle down and allow minimal damage to end the inning, forcing a Lions' strikeout, sacrifice fly, and ground out over the following three batters to allow just one run after walking the bases loaded.
The Navy and Gold threatened in the bottom of the first but left a runner at third base. Olson struggled again to start the inning, walking the opening batter, and allowing a single to left field to the next Lion that allowed both runners to advance two bags. With runners at second and third and no outs, Olson induced three-straight fly-ball outs to keep Vanguard off the scoreboard.
The Lions struck for two more runs in the top of the third, one on first pitch double that scored via a wild pitch, and the second on some small ball plays that plated Vanguard's third run of the game. Corban continued to find runners on the base paths, but just couldn't manage to cross home plate with any of them.
Despite keeping the Lions off the board for the rest of the contest, the Warriors were held to the same result, logging just a single hit in a 3-0 shutout loss to start the 2023 season.
Olson was charged with all three runs on four hits from Vanguard batters over 4.1 innings pitched, walking nine and striking out a pair. Junior relief pitcher Madison Russell entered in the sixth inning to keep the Lions off the bases for the remainder of the game, striking out a hitter in the process.
Sophomore centerfielder Jody Fischer logged the lone hit for the Warriors, throwing down a perfectly placed bunt in the third inning to reach base with ease. Sophomore shortstop Cambria Kerze snagged a stolen base in the bottom of the first inning as well.
Vanguard starting pitcher Brianna Williams pitched a beautiful one-hitter for the Lions, earning her second win of the season in a complete game effort, needing only 90 pitches, and striking out 10 Corban batters.
Four different Vanguard hitters earned a hit this morning, with Williams becoming her own benefactor by slicing a hit and scoring a run. Second baseman Megan Ireland earned one of the two team RBI for the Lions on her solo hit in the third inning.
Game 2 – (RV) VU 3, CRB 0
Corban freshman starting pitcher Vanessa Hulett-Quinones saw her first collegiate action in the circle to kick off the second game of today's doubleheader, allowing a single run on a walk, wild pitch, and double while striking out a pair of Lions to end the top of the first.
The Warriors' offense struggled once again to find hits in their first two innings of offense, as Lions' starting pitcher Mari Ipatzi racked up four strikeouts in six at bats, giving her own team a fighting chance with a 1-0 lead after two innings.
Both offenses were relatively quiet over the next couple of frames, with Hulett-Quinones and Ipatzi setting into the circle and keeping runners off the base paths. However, the Lions were able to add to their lead in the top of the fifth inning, scoring another run to double their lead and chase Hulett-Quinones from the game, now leading 2-0.
The offense didn't stop there for Vanguard, who tacked on a third run in the top of the seventh via a groundball up the middle, putting the Warriors in the same game situation they found themselves in through most of game one. The Corban defense was able to escape the top of the frame unscathed from there, as a strikeout on a double steal allowed Kerze to gun down the runner leading from third base, sending us to the Warriors' final attempt for a comeback at U.S. Cellular Park.
Ipatzi proved to be too much to handle for the Corban offense, as she completed the no-hitter three batters later to duplicate the game one final score of 3-0 in favor of the Lions.
Hulett-Quinones had a decent outing for her first collegiate appearance, allowing just two runs on three hits and striking out five Lions' batters, walking four more. Unfortunately, no runs scored by her offense resulted in her taking the loss in today's doubleheader finale. Sophomore relief pitcher Emmaleena Wood allowed a clean slate in 1.1 innings of work, while freshman Amy Jankowski came in for the final inning of relief to allow a run on two hits.
Needing only 95 pitches this afternoon, Ipatzi threw an absolute gem for the Lions, earning her first win on the season with 7.0 innings of no-hit softball, amassing 12 strikeouts along the way, with her lone error coming on a hit batter in the bottom of the third inning.
The top of Vanguard's lineup was responsible for three of the five hits and all three RBI that the Lions earned in game two, led by leadoff third baseman Ashley Klopfenstein and her single hit, run, RBI, and stolen base.
The Warriors officially hit the road next weekend for the first tournament setting of the non-conference schedule, as they'll play Menlo College (1-2, 0-0) and No. 21 Jessup University (4-0, 0-0) in back-to-back doubleheaders on February 10th and 11th at Foskett Regional Park in Lincoln, California.
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