SALEM, Ore. – Corban University Softball Head Coach Danyelle Huber made the most of the Warriors' (7-14, 5-6) final two contests with the Warner Pacific University Knights (1-11, 1-9), as she allowed two freshman pitchers and the fundamental utility player earn a pair of gutsy 8-4 and 4-3 wins in the back half of a four-game series.
"In playing out game two, we just weren't able to make the adjustments needed to comeback for a win," Huber shared following her team's three-game afternoon. "But by the third and fourth game of the series, they brought the "play-to-win" mentality and were successful in both games."
Huber continued by sharing, "They strung some hits together and executed on plays at the perfect timing to get us two more wins to end the series. Vanesa and Kailey as our freshmen duo in the circle and behind the plate were our work horses this weekend, and I can't forget to give major props to Amy on bringing her A-game today in game four."
When asked on her junior utility player's feat in the fourth and final game, Huber stated, "Parker was the ultimate utility player for us, and touching all nine positions in game four was icing on the cake! We grew a lot this weekend and I'm proud of each and every one of them."
Game 2 – WPU 8, Corban 2 – Continued from March 10th
With time becoming an issue for the two squads, they turned around and started game two within 15 minutes of game one ending, but to no avail as they only got 4.0 full innings in before the game was called due to darkness.
Prior to the game being suspended, the Knights took out their frustration on four different pitchers for Corban, amassing seven runs through four innings to hold a 7-2 lead entering the fifth inning, crushing two home runs, and stringing along some small ball hits to take the massive five-run lead over the Warriors with few at-bats remaining.
Corban scored their first run on yet another stolen base of home, this time by Betz in a pickoff situation that allowed her just enough time to sprint home from third base. The second was off the bat of Wyllie, as the WPU leftfielder misjudged the flyball hit her direction, allowing the ball to drop and give sophomore pinch runner Jaden South an opportunity to jot home from third base.
The squads picked up game two early Saturday morning prior to the start of their second doubleheader, as freshman relief pitcher Vanesa Hulett-Quinones entered to a bases-loaded, no-out scenario that seemed like a tall task for the first-year pitcher.
However, Hulett-Quinones was able to pitch around to allow only one run on a fielder's choice, inducing two more ground outs to escape with minimal damage, with WPU leading 8-2.
The Corban offense was unable to find the basepaths over the final two innings of play, falling 8-2 in the second contest to even the series at 1-1 overall. Five different pitchers found themselves in the circle in game two for the Warriors, but only two were able to escape unscathed of runs scored.
Sophomore starting pitcher Emmaleena Wood ended up taking the loss after struggling in the opening inning, failing to secure an out before three runs came in to score off two hits, forcing Coach Huber to go to the bullpen. Freshman relief pitcher Amy Jankowski surrendered another run on two hits in 0.2 innings of work, while senior righty Alise Olson pitched 2.2 innings to the sound of three runs off five hits. Sophomore left Madison Russell and Hulett-Quinones comibed for the final 3.2 innings, allowing just one run with no hits surrendered between the two of them.
Knights' starting pitcher Carrigan Foster locked up her and her team's first win of the season by tossing a complete game with two runs off three hits, striking out seven batters along the way and walking only one.
Sophomore centerfielder Jody Fischer was responsible for two of the three team hits for Corban in game two, while junior first baseman Paia'ala Wilcox-Molina added yet another hit to her season totals.
Foster and first baseman Emma Foster lit up the bats in game two, with each of them hitting a deep home run over the left centerfield fence to collect two RBI on one hit and four RBI on three hits, respectively.
Game 3 – Corban 8, WPU 4
After Warner Pacific opened the third game of the series with another first inning run, the Warriors refused to let another home game opportunity slip through their fingers, as a single from freshman catcher Kailey Betz allowed sophomore second baseman Chas Walch to score in the bottom of the first, before Fischer slapped a single to shortstop in the bottom of the second to add another run, combined with a deep two-RBI double into centerfield from junior designated player Morgan Gleeson to give Corban an early 4-1 lead.
Both Hulett-Quinones and Carrigan Foster settled into their starting roles over the next three innings, before the Navy and Gold added some extremely crucial insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on a wild pitch, a deep double to right centerfield from Wilcox-Molina, and an RBI groundout from graduate student right fielder Madison Wyllie.
Now possessing a 7-1 advantage on the scoreboard, the Warriors appeared to relax on the defensive end, providing the Knights with an opportunity to jump back into this game. Carrigan Foster extended her dominate weekend at the plate with a three-run homer into left field, cutting their deficit in half entering the bottom of the sixth inning.
Yet another incredibly useful run was scored by Corban in the sixth frame, as Fischer logged her second RBI of the day on a single up the middle that scored freshman leftfielder Katelyn Willard in the process, giving Corban a four-run lead as they head to the final inning of play.
Warner Pac refused to go down without a fight, allowing the tying run to reach the plate in the form of Emma Foster. Having already smashed a home run in the first half of game two yesterday, Foster worked her way into a 2-2 count with momentum on their side, only for Hulett-Quinones to slam the door shut and catch the outside corner on her next pitch, striking out Foster and ending the game 8-4 with the bases loaded.
Hulett-Quinones pitched a four-run, six-hit complete game three that allowed Corban to take the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) series 2-1, striking out one batter and walking three along the way to even her overall record at 4-4.
Carrigan Foster took the loss after getting roughed up for four runs on four hits in the first 1.2 innings of work, while relief pitcher Abby Carlson threw together an identical stat line of four runs off another four hits, this time over 4.1 innings and striking out a game-high four batters.
Fischer tallied another three hits on the day with two RBI and two runs scored, while Gleeson's two-RBI double secured her first hit of the day.
Carrigan continued her offensive success with a four-RBI game three performance via two hits and a run scored. Second baseman Jordyn Rosario was the only other multi-hit performer, securing two hits of her own with another run scored.
Game 4 – Corban 4, WPU 3
With the series now in the favor of Corban 2-1 in CCC games, only a non-conference game four matchup remained between the two conference opponents, and it was the Warriors' turn to strike first in an intense contest from start to finish. All the while, junior infielder Sarah Parker began her trek to play all nine positions around the field as the right fielder to start the contest.
In the bottom of the first inning, freshman second baseman Berkeley Porter made the most of her fifth start of the season by launching a double over the WPU centerfielder's head, scoring Fischer in the process after she reached first on leadoff bunt single, then advanced around the bases on a stolen base and ground out.
Porter scored two batters later in the same frame, as Betz singled softly over the third baseman's head into left field, giving Corban a 2-0 lead after the opening inning.
The Knights tied the contest at 2-all in the top of the third inning, as a sacrifice fly from Carrigan Foster into left field allowed not one, but two runs to score after the outfielder lost track of the number of outs in the inning.
Three innings would pass between the next scoring plays, allowing Parker to move across the entire outfield and infield positions, leaving just catcher and pitcher remaining in her journey around the diamond as the game entered the crucial final innings in a tightly contested matchup.
Warner Pacific would take their first lead of the game in the top of the sixth inning, as starting pitcher Jovita Laloulu gave herself a one-run cushion with an RBI single to right field, allowing leftfielder Marin Bliss to score and make the score 3-2 in the favor of the visiting Knights.
However, Porter and Wilcox-Molina formed the ultimate one-two punch in the bottom of the sixth to secure the late game comeback bid, as Porter singled to left field and advanced to second base on the throw in an attempt to gun down Fischer as she scored, then Wilcox-Molina popped a sacrifice fly into left field just deep enough for junior pinch hitter Sarah Bradshaw to tag up from third base and allow Corban to flip their one-run deficit into a 4-3 lead.
Having just two positions left in the game to field, Coach Huber showed the level of trust she has in Parker by allowing her to start the final inning in the circle, clinging to a single-run lead and the heart of the Warner Pac lineup due up.
With having no prior innings pitched this season, Parker was able to catch Knights' shortstop Ashley Hawkins looking for her first collegiate strikeout, then quickly earned a fly out two pitches later to sit just one out from clutching out the series win. In what would be the final at-bat of the evening, Parker suited up to catch for Jankowski as she reentered to face Carrigan Foster, a hitter that's capable of tying this game with just one swing.
After the first pitch flew outside the zone, Foster hammered a line drive into centerfield, but Fischer was able to adjust on the fly to collect the out and notch the Warriors' first series win of the year in their comeback victory over the Knights and give Parker an achievement that will forever be etched in Corban Softball program history.
Jankowski earned her first win of the season by tossing 6.1 innings and allowing three runs on six hits, striking out three batters and walking four more. Meanwhile, Parker secured a strikeout in two at-bats pitched in the circle of 0.2 innings, needing just seven pitches to force flyout and punch out.
Laloulu was responsible for the loss after allowing four runs on six hits, walking a batter along the way in a 71-pitch outing.
Freshmen Porter and Betz each tacked on two hits apiece in the game four win for the Warriors, with the former also securing two RBI and a run scored. Fischer collected one hit to secure a hit in every game this series and secure a four-game hitting streak as the 10-game homestand comes to a rest.
Warner Pacific spread out all six of their hits across six different student-athletes, led by Carrigan Foster's two-RBI game.
The Warriors next hit the road for a four-game series at the No. 12-ranked College of Idaho (20-2, 7-2) in Caldwell, with the first doubleheader slated for a 1pm MDT, 12pm PDT, start time on Friday, March 17th.
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