STAYTON, Ore. – The Corban University Softball program picked up their first regular season win of the 2025 spring season and in addition, their first Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) victory as the Warriors dropped a 10-2 series opener to the visiting Argos of the University of Providence before bouncing back in game two with 5-2 victory thanks to a stellar pitching performance from junior righthander Kate Banks.
"I'm very excited for the team to come together and earn their first conference win," Corban head coach Jeff Covalt began with earlier this afternoon. " I can't say enough about Kate's performance and going a full seven innings today. We're excited to have the conference season off to a good start and hopeful we continue to learn and grow as a group in every game."
Game 1 – Providence 10, Corban 2 (5 Innings)
Playing at Stayton High School due to an excessive amount of rain water that stuck around over the past two days from the heavy rain that the Willamette Valley had been receiving over the past week, the Warriors (1-10, 1-1) and Argos (3-3, 1-1) took advantage of the beautiful Oregon sunshine and played out a hard-fought doubleheader with both highs and lows for each team occurring over the quick results played out over this afternoon.
Providence took advantage early in game one to secure an early 6-0 lead with three runs scored in both the first and second innings, yet Corban was able to add two unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Argos' lead to four. After junior leftfielder Gianna Redman walked to start the frame, junior shortstop Isabel Carattini dropped down a perfectly placed bunt down the third base line and beat out the throw to first base, which then dribbled past the first baseman and allowed Redman to reach third base.
Following a sacrifice fly by Banks, who was serving as the designated player in game one, that scored Redman and even saw Carattini advance to third on, junior second baseman Peyton Foreman put down another Corban bunt to third base and despite being called out at first on the play, provided Carattini with the opportunity she needed to score.
Determined to end game one in a fifth inning run-rule scenario, the Argos took advantage of an early fielding error that led to a run and eventually loaded the bases, scoring the four runs they needed on back-to-back RBI singles and a sacrifice fly to lead 10-2 after the top of the fifth. Providence starting pitcher Ashley Mitchell then worked a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the fifth to wrap up a complete game win for the Argos. Mitchell allowed just the one hit to Carattini and one earned run while striking out three Corban batters.
True freshman starting pitcher Regan Rasmussen accepted the losing decision in game one of this weekend's four-game set after allowing eight runs on eight hits, five of which were earned, with just a single free pass allowed in 4.1 innings pitched. Senior reliever Sage Vanterpool served up the remaining 0.2 innings of defense for the Warriors with two runs allowed on three hits.
A quartet of Argos picked up multi-hit performances in the series opener this afternoon, led by leftfielder and leadoff batter Kasidy Yeoman and her two hits, two RBI, and run scored. Catcher Marilyn Comack secured a game-high three RBI on her one base hit, while second baseman Tehneson Ehnes scored a pair of runs.
Game 2 – Corban 5, Providence 2
Coach Covalt and his staff submitted a completely new lineup for game two of today's doubleheader and saw the offense roar to life in the bottom of the third inning, with junior third baseman Leata Senio starting the inning off with a single to centerfield and advance to second on the ensuing wild pitch. Senio was off and running on ball four of senior second baseman Alexis Figueroa's at-bat to put runners on the corners for Carattini, who allowed Figueroa to steal second and then immediately put down another bunt attempt to score Senio from third under the tag attempt from Providence.
Carattini stole second base for her second overall stolen bag of the day and following a walk drawn by junior centerfielder Regan McDaniel and the first out of the inning, Banks stepped to the plate and delivered with a base hit up the middle to move everyone around the diamond by a single base. An RBI groundout by freshman catcher Mckenna Hanson put runners at second and third for Redman, who came through with the biggest at-bat of the contest via her two-RBI single up the middle that plated both McDaniel and Banks for a five-run third inning.
Banks, who had stepped into the pitching circle for game two, continued to work herself out of jams on the basepaths through five innings before Providence finally broke through in the top of the sixth, scoring a pair of unearned runs thanks to a crafty baserunning ploy by the Argos that forced a fielding error and ensuing sacrifice fly to cut their lead to three runs and put the Warriors three outs away from their first win of the season.
Without missing a cue, Banks entered for the seventh inning and didn't allow a single batter to reach base, as she forced an immediate pop-up out on a failed bunt attempt, followed by a groundout to shortstop and a flyout to leftfielder to pick up the first win by a Corban pitcher in 2025 and an even more important conference win towards their season standings. Banks finished her complete game 7.0 innings of work with seven hits allowed and allowed just the two unearned runs to score while striking out a single Argo.
Yeoman started for Providence in game two and was charged with all five of the Warriors' earned runs, along with two walks and two punchouts before being pulled after 3.0 innings. Relief pitcher Madison White was the most effective pitcher for the Argos in game two, working the remaining 3.0 innings from the bullpen with a pair of Ks and two hits allowed.
In addition to her pitching prowess, Banks was the only student-athlete from either squad to pick up a multi-hit outing in the second contest of a Friday twin bill, as she went 2-for-3 with an RBI and run scored from the third overall spot in Coach Covalt's lineup card. Redman led the Navy and Gold with two RBI and picked up one of the three remaining base hits for Corban.
All seven of the Argos hits in game two came from seven different batters, with Yeoman and Ehnes leading the way once again from the top of the lineup with a base hit apiece. White and centerfielder Kolbi Wood each scored a run for Providence.
With Warrior Field having an extra day to dry out from the heavy rains over the past week, the two CCC foes will have an opportunity to close out their four-game series on Corban's campus tomorrow with 11am and 1pm first pitch times currently scheduled.
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