SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University Softball team (9-29, 7-19) kicked off their 2023 Senior Weekend by earning an impressive doubleheader split with an NAIA Top 25 opponent, as the Warriors dropped game one 9-0 to the No. 24-ranked Eastern Oregon University Mountaineers (25-15, 15-10) before solid starting pitching and a seven-run inning provided them with a 7-4 victory in game two.
"Great effort and hard work from the Warriors today!" Warriors' Head Coach Danyelle Huber shared earlier this evening. "The never-give-up drive showed today, and they were able to come out with a well-deserved win in game two. Timely execution is what this game is all about, and the girls keep striving to not settle and keep getting better. I'm especially proud of Allie for bringing it in her start as well."
Game 1 – No. 24 EOU 9, Corban 0 (6 Innings)
The Mountaineers certainly came to play in game one of the four-game set, jumping out to a 1-0 lead that proved to be all that was necessary with their ace in the circle that dealt an incredible performance. EOU would go on to score five more runs over the next five innings, with the run-rule enforcing runs to cross in the top of the sixth inning.
Eastern Oregon starting pitcher Kaylie Hoskins could not be contained in her complete game appearance, racking up 15 strikeouts out of 18 total outs, allowing just three hits, all of which came in the final two innings of play. She needed just 90 pitches to do so, walking no batters and inducing three groundouts to go alongside her game-high strikeout count.
Warriors' freshman shortstop Kailey Betz secured the first hit of the day off Hoskins, driving a double to the fence in left-centerfield flawlessly. Junior designated player Samantha Martinez and graduate student right fielder Madison Wyllie each singled to account for the other two hits in the contest for Corban.
Holding an NAIA Top 25 team to five runs through the first five innings was completely within the reach of Warriors' freshman starting pitcher Vanesa Hulett-Quinones, but a bases-loaded jam in the top of the sixth is what really opened up the contest for the Mountaineers, as they tagged her for nine runs on 14 hits, drawing four walks while she managed to strikeout a pair of batters.
Leadoff hitter and right fielder Haley Tyree powered the Mounties' lineup in game one, slashing a perfect 4-for-4 while drawing a walk. She drove in five RBI and scored two runs herself to account for seven of EOU's nine runs in the contest. Catcher Hannah Tyree followed right behind with three hits, two RBI, and a run scored.
Game 2 – Corban 7, No. 24 EOU 4
Over 80% of the runs scored in game two came in the third inning, as the Mountaineers struck first with the first home run of the series off the bat of third baseman gates Leatherwood that scored a runner in the process, giving EOU a slight 2-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the third.
Outside of their 12-straight unanswered runs against Northwest University at the beginning of the season, the Warriors put together one of their best innings of the year to answer Leatherwood's long ball. After freshman left fielder Katelyn Willard kicked the frame off with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, junior catcher Morgan Gleeson smashed a double into deep right-centerfield to easily score Willard.
Warriors' sophomore centerfielder Jody Fischer then started a run of four-straight singles for the Navy and Gold, chasing the Mounties' starting pitcher from the game with still only one out and two runners aboard. Once junior first baseman Sarah Bradshaw reached safely on a fielding error to score their fifth run of the inning, a wild pitch allowed Betz to trot home safely, and Bradshaw capped off the massive offensive outburst by scoring an unearned run on Willard's second hit of the frame to jump ahead 7-2 overall.
Warriors' junior starting pitcher Alise Olson and Mountaineers' relief pitcher Kaylin Winans settled into their roles over the next three innings, with no runs being scored between the beginning of the fourth and end of the sixth, sending everyone to the seventh inning and putting Corban just three outs away from the upset win.
After Haley Tyree led the inning off with a double down the leftfield line, Olson was able to sky a pop up and fly out to sit only one out away from her second win of the year, with Leatherwood digging into the box. Fouling off pitch after pitch only further fueled Leatherwood's final swing of the day, as she smashed her second dinger of the day in almost the exact same location of the Warriors' fence, drawing her team to within three runs at 7-4.
Following a double from Hannah Tyree and shallow single to centerfield by left fielder Kelly Monaghan to put two runners in scoring position, Coach Huber made the call to the bullpen to bring Hulett-Quinones in to face one of EOU's heaviest bat swingers in first baseman Haley Ebner. With a 2-2 count, Hulett-Quinones caught the outside corner to send Ebner packing, thus tying this series at 1-1 overall.
The turning point for Olson came in the top of the sixth inning, as she walked three batters to load the bases and needed two outs to escape unharmed. After securing her fifth strikeout of the day, she was able to induce a groundball out to keep her lead intact and give her teammates the best start of her season. She ended her day with 6.2 innings of action, allowed four runs on eight hits, and walked five batters to even out her five strikeouts.
Hulett-Quinones picked up the save after striking out her lone batter faced that represented the game-tying run at the plate.
Eastern Oregon starting pitcher Mckenna Stallings was responsible for the loss after failing to keep the Warriors off the basepaths in the bottom of the third, being charged for six runs on seven hits and striking out one batter. Winans allowed four more hits and a single unearned run alongside three punchouts.
Willard completed her first perfect game at the plate with a 3-for-3 stat line in game two, scoring a run and adding an RBI as well. Fischer and Betz were the other multi-hit game recipients for the Warriors, while Gleeson picked up another base knock, an RBI, and a run scored.
Leatherwood's two homers highlighted a four-RBI game for the hot corner defender, as she was solely responsible for the EOU offense in game two. Hannah and Haley Tyree added another hit apiece to their 2023 resumes.
The Warriors and Mounties will continue their four-game series tomorrow starting at 11am PDT, with Senior Day festivities to follow the doubleheader later in the afternoon where three Corban Softball student-athletes will be honored on the field.
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