HELENA, Mont. – The Corban University Softball team battled through the less than ideal northern temperatures throughout this afternoon as March nears an end, as they fell 6-1 and 9-2 against the Fighting Saints of Carroll College to begin their four-game series in western Montana.
"The Montana cold temperatures and winds were both an experience the team played well in, we just need to do it for a complete seven innings tomorrow if we want to leave Montana with a win," Corban head coach Jeff Covalt stated earlier today.
Game 1 – Carroll 6, Corban 1
Through four innings of the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) opener between the Warriors (1-22, 1-10) and Saints (9-12, 6-5), junior starting pitcher Vanesa Quinones provided her team with an opportunity to stay within striking distance with only two runs allowed, yet the Corban offense was continuously stymied by an incredible complete game effort from Carroll's own game one starter. Quinones would go on to allow six runs on 11 hits in 6.0 frames tossed, with a pair of walks and four strikeouts on the day.
Saints' starter Kennedy Venner struck out 15 Warriors en route to a one-hitter on her home field, walking two batters and allowing a single run on one hit and a hit batter.
Junior first baseman Peyton Foreman collected Corban's lone hit of the contest in the top of the sixth inning, as she singled into centerfield to score junior rightfielder Gianna Redman from second base and prevent the shutout win for the Saints.
Four different Carroll batters had multi-hit outings in the series opener, led by centerfielder Kati Slater and leftfielder Liz Ybarra from atop the Saints' lineup with 2-for-4 outings and each scoring a run. Shortstop Morgan Sunchild and catcher Alyssa Libbert were 2-for-3, and both tallied an RBI in their team's victory.
Game 2 – Carroll 9, Corban 2
Early offense for Carroll in game two put Corban in an early 5-0 hole after two runs scored unearned in the second inning, yet the Navy and Gold struck back in the top of the third thanks to an RBI single off the bat of freshman rightfielder Destinee Estrada that scored sophomore leftfielder Breanna Crosby and put another pair in scoring position. However, the Saints were able to pitch around the scoring threats to lead 5-1 entering the bottom half of the third where they would score another three runs along with their ninth of the game in the fourth.
Facing a run-rule deficit and down to their final out, freshman third baseman Hannah Griffith doubled off the top of the fence in left field and secured the Warriors first extra base hit of the weekend, scoring on the next play as junior centerfielder Regan McDaniel singled to right and eliminated the run-rule for at least another half inning.
Despite escaping the early loss, Corban softball was unable to score any more runs despite loading the bases in the sixth and would eventually fall 9-2 as true freshman relief pitcher Regan Rasmussen had her best single-game outing of the year by pitching around Saints on the basepaths to hold Carroll scoreless for the final 1.2 innings of work by inducing five groundouts.
Junior starter Kate Banks went just 2.0 innings in game two for Corban with five runs allowed off four hits and three walks, while senior reliever Sage Vanterpool saw another four runs off two hits, six walks, and a pair of punchouts recorded against her seasonal totals.
Saints' game two starting pitcher Mckinley Ermshar picked up her second win of the season yet needed 1.1 innings of relief from Abbie Amend to lock up the victory. Ermshar went 5.2 frames with two runs off five hits, three walks, and three strikeouts, while Amend struck out a pair of Warriors in her four outs recorded.
The top three Corban student-athletes in Coach Covalt's lineup all had a hit in the second game of today's doubleheader, with Foreman and junior shortstop Leata Senio joining McDaniel, Estrada, and Griffith with base knocks.
Only rightfielder Brynn Notbohm from the Carroll lineup card had more than one hit in game two, as she finished with two hits, two runs scored, and an RBI while second baseman Kenna Thomas cleared the bases in the bottom of the first with a triple to represent a game-high three RBI.
The two CCC programs will be back in action tomorrow morning with 10am and 12pm PT first pitches scheduled for the final two matchups in their four-game set.
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