SALEM, Ore. – The Corban University Softball team's offensive opportunities were thwarted time and time again throughout this morning and into the early afternoon by the No. 10-ranked Southern Oregon University Raiders, as the Warriors put runners aboard on a handful of occasions just to see them stranded with key pitches and defensive plays made by SOU in their 9-0 and 11-1 victories in games three and four of the series in Salem.
Game 1 – #10 SOU 9, Corban 0 (6 Innings)
A five-run second inning was all the Raiders (28-9, 15-3) needed to secure the conference series on the road against the Warriors (1-35, 0-18), adding three more runs over the fifth and sixth for good measure to enact the run-rule in the bottom of the sixth frame. Corban sophomore starting Kate Banks was unable to escape the second inning and saw five runs off four hits and three walks come around to score while striking out a trio of Raiders. Sophomore reliever Vanesa Quinones tossed the final 4.2 innings to the sound of four runs, six hits, four walks, and two punchouts.
Southern Oregon's starting pitcher Katie Machado was dominant once again in her second start against Corban in as many days, dealing another two-hit shutout with six strikeouts to snag her fifteenth win on the season.
Warriors' redshirt junior shortstop Cambria Kerze and senior pinch hitter Tatiana Liu were responsible for the two base hits in game three of the four-game series.
A 3-for-3 performance by SOU shortstop Sammie Pemberton allowed the Raiders to cruise to the game one win, as she scored two runs and smashed two RBI while catcher Piper Love added two hits and two more RBI.
Game 2 – #10 SOU 11, Corban 1
A remotely low-scoring affair for both teams through six innings in their non-conference finale to the weekend series, Southern Oregon jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the third, but Corban was able to battle back in their own offensive half of the inning thanks to an RBI double off the bat of junior rightfielder Madelynne Pierce.
The Raiders added a single run in each of the next three innings to take a 5-1 lead into the final inning of play yet were still able to unleash an offensive brigade in the seventh to tilt the scoreboard to an 11-1 final score despite playing the full seven intended innings of play.
Warriors' junior starter Emmaleena Wood kept her team in the mix for 6.1 innings, allowing five runs on 11 hits alongside three walks and four strikeouts to her name. Senior Madison Russell entered to relieve Wood in the seventh and saw four runs score under her watch, while Banks secured the final Raider out with two more runs scored as well.
To complete the four-game sweep, SOU's starter Mayzee Menefee tossed a five-hit, one-run outing with a trio of strikeouts, while relief pitcher Katie Fodge appeared in the seventh for a clean three at-bat frame.
Corban's offense spread five hits among five different players in game four, with Pierce collecting the lone RBI and junior catcher Alicia Chavez scoring the Warriors' single run while earning a base knock herself.
A three-run homer by first baseman Jordan Henderson gave the Raider three RBI on two hits, while Pemberton continued her hot play at the plate with two more hits and three RBI. Love and two more Southern Oregon student-athletes also had multi-hit performances to end their trip to the state capital.
The Warriors will look to rebound next weekend in Eugene against I-5 rival Bushnell University (9-26, 3-15), beginning on Friday at 3pm on Rich Schwab Field. Please note that no fan attendance is permitted before 2:50pm at Maple Elementary School.
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