REDDING, Calif. – Despite being held without a hit in game two of today's doubleheader, the Corban University Softball team secured their first win this season thanks to a complete game shutout by one of the newest additions to the program in a narrow 1-0 victory, forcing a two-game split with Simpson University after the Red Hawks took game one by a final score of 3-0.
"Great day of softball overall," began Corban head coach Danyelle Huber when asked to detail her team's final doubleheader of their season-opening road trip. "We had a tough weekend and ending the last game on a win was a great defining moment of this team's patience and showed the their overall growth over the week. Kate pitched a great game and the defense was behind her the whole way. Overall, I'm very proud of this team and we're looking forward to continued success in both our practices and contests moving forward. The hits will fall and start being strung together as we progress through the season."
GAME 1 – Simpson 3, Corban 0
The Red Hawks utilized their home field advantage and put back-to-back pitches into the left and right centerfield gaps to score a quick run in the bottom of the second, but senior starting pitcher Alise Olson would buckle down and strand the runner aboard with a ground out and strikeout swinging to escape any further damage.
Simpson rinse-repeated on the very next opportunity by scoring a run in the bottom of the third, yet the Corban defense stepped up once again to leave runners on base and trail by just two runs after three complete innings of play.
Once again, the Red Hawks tacked on a single run the following frame but was halted at gaining any more momentum with another key defensive play by the Warriors with another runner picked off trying to advance on a play.
While the defense was able to hold Simpson to just three runs in game one, another scoreless outing resulted in the 3-0 loss to open Corban's fourth-straight doubleheader in as many days. Olson received the loss after allowing two runs off three hits in 3.0 innings of work, while sophomore relief pitcher Vanesa Quinones was tagged for just a single run in her own 3.0 innings with four hits allowed and two strikeouts.
Red Hawks' starting pitcher Jacquelyn Lujan tossed a three-hit shutout over the Warriors with six strikeouts while not issuing a single walk, needing 75 pitches to secure her program's first win of the season.
Graduate student third baseman Sydney Spickelmier, sophomore leftfielder Josie Landis, and junior pinch hitter Madelynne Pierce all secured a base hit in today's opener, with Landis launching the only extra-base hit of the contest with her leadoff double in the top of the third inning.
Simpson first baseman Cailey Rizzardo and rightfielder Amy LeGrande each had multi-hit performances for the home team, while catcher Ariel Schulzkump tallied the only RBI in game one with her run-scoring single.
GAME 2 – Corban 1, Simpson 0
The Warriors took their first lead of the 2024 season in the first frame of game two, as Spickelmier plated junior centerfielder Jody Fischer from third base on a groundout to second after the Swiss-born speedster reached on an error, promptly stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
It wasn't until the bottom of the fifth inning when the Red Hawks would have their first legitimate scoring possibility, as a line drive to centerfield with a runner on second was waved around for a play at the plate. However, Fischer fielded the ball on the run and launched a strike to junior catcher Alicia Chavez at home, where she caught the ball on a hop and tagged the runner at the plate for the second out of the inning. Sophomore starting pitcher Kate Banks induced a fly ball out on the very next pitch to escape the fifth with a 1-0 lead still intact.
Both the sixth and seventh innings saw Simpson bring runners aboard and threatened to tie the game on both occasions, but Banks was able to dig deep and secure the final six outs she needed without allowing a runner to pass second base en route to the rare no-hit victory for the Corban softball team. In her third start in the navy and gold threads, Banks pitched a complete game shutout of the Red Hawks and allowed six hits over her 7.0 innings of work, walking just two batters while striking out two more.
Simpson starting pitcher Kylee Potes was on the unsuccessful side of a no-hit performance, where she held the Warriors without a hit all game long yet received the loss due to the lone unearned run she allowed in the top of the first inning. She fanned nine batters and walked only two in the losing effort for the Red Hawks.
Fischer's unearned run combined with her outfield assist at home plate proved to be the two biggest plays of the entire contest, with junior second baseman Alexis Figueroa drawing both of the Corban walks to provide the Navy and Gold with a few more scoring opportunities along the way to their 1-0 win.
Red Hawk first baseman Madyson Welch slashed a pair of hits in her only start of the day, while Rizzardo added another base knock to grow her total to three on the day.
The Corban softball team will now make the return trip to Oregon and begin preparations for their first non-NAIA matchup of the regular season, as they'll travel to Forest Grove for a Saturday doubleheader with NCAA DIII Pacific University (2-2) next weekend, beginning at 12pm at Sherman/Larkins Stadium.
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