EUGENE, Ore. – The Corban University Softball program's overdue 2024 conference victory was finally achieved earlier this afternoon at Rich Schwab Field, where a spectacular pitching start combined with putting the ball in play and forcing the Bushnell University Beacons into making plays resulted in a 7-4 win in the final conference contest of the weekend. The fourth non-conference matchup was later canceled due to weather.
"Today's win was a full team effort," commented Warriors' head coach Danyelle Huber. "All the hard work the team has put forward, no one was more deserving of a win than the Warriors were today. The perseverance and grit they have showed is something that can't be taken away from them. Life lessons have been learned this year. And more wins are to come. Proud of Amy on the mound dealing and leading a great game after an injury to her hand is very impressive. Cami coming through with 5 RBI is the definition of selflessness. I'm proud of the whole team."
For the second time in their three games played with the Beacons (11-27, 5-16), the Warriors (2-37, 1-20) opened scoring in the top of the first inning by putting Bushnell in uncomfortable situations, as junior catcher Alicia Chavez reached base safely on an infielder error to score senior leftfielder Samantha Martinez and keep the bases loaded for redshirt junior shortstop Cambria Kerze. The Roseville, California native came up clutch to secure a hefty first-inning lead for Corban, as she blasted a triple to deep right centerfield that cleared the bases and provided her team with a 4-0 lead.
Kerze added two more runs to the Corban scoreboard in the top of the fifth, singling through the left side to plate sophomore pinch runner Josie Landis and graduate student first baseman Sydney Spickelmier, thus elevating the lead once again to 6-0 in favor of the Navy and Gold.
Sophomore starting pitcher Amy Jankowski was superb in the circle for the Warriors today, holding the Beacons to just four runs, three of which were earned, and kept them scoreless through the opening 4.0 innings. She would eventually surrender a single run in both the fifth and sixth frames, but another unearned run on a throwing error that allowed junior centerfielder Jody Fischer to score provided her with a little more run support entering the final inning of action.
With one out in the seventh and runners on the corners, Jankowski exited to a round of Corban applause on the road, with sophomore reliever Vanesa Quinones tasked with securing the final two outs of the ball game. She was able to trade a run for an out on the very next batter but walked the preceding hitter to load the bases and provide the Beacons with an opportunity to knot this contest up.
After a groundball was mishandled in the infield, the Warrior defense was able to catch the runner advancing from second to third in a rundown when she overran the base, resulting in a 5-6-2-5-1 putout at the plate to halt the Bushnell comeback bid and send the Warriors to the win column for the first time since the middle of February.
Jankowski picked up the winning decision after 6.1 innings, allowing four runs on five hits and six walks, but struck out four and relied on her defense to induce flyouts and groundball outs on the basepathes. Quinones picked up the final two outs with just a walk issued.
Beacons' starter Emily Cole accepted her twelfth loss of the season despite allowing only two earned runs on six hits but walked five batters along the way that kept Corban forcing the issue around the bases.
Kerze had a career-high five RBI in a 2-for-3 day at the plate, while Martinez added two more hits and a run scored. The first seven Warriors in the lineup all scored a single run, whether that be from reaching base on a hit, walk, or one of Bushnell's four team errors.
Leftfielder Ericka Allen was responsible for over half of the Beacons' hits in game three of the weekend series, as she finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Catcher Montanah Love scored a game-high two runs this afternoon.
The final road trip of the 2024 season continues next weekend in the opposite direction of the I-5 interstate for the Warriors, as they'll travel north to Wilsonville High School for a four-game series with Warner Pacific University (3-29, 2-19) beginning on Friday at 10am.
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