SALEM, Ore. – Another pair of complete game losses for the Corban University Softball team had the coaching staff encouraged as the Warriors completed their four-game series with No. 2-ranked Oregon Tech, with the team dropping a pair of hard-fought 6-1 and 6-5 losses, the latter of which was called in the fifth inning due to heavy rainfall in the Willamette Valley. The Navy and Gold played a complete game in all three of their Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) series against the Lady Owls, with the fourth non-conference matchup rally falling just short of a wild comeback win amid the spring showers.
"I'm really proud of the team, as we played the number two team in the nation and competed well," shared Warriors' head coach Jeff Covalt earlier this afternoon. "We are working on competing every day, and I'm glad to see the team responding on the field. Not the outcome we wanted, but we took a big step in the right direction with support across the roster this weekend."
Game 1 – No. 2 OIT 6, Corban 1
Back-to-back scoreless innings by both the Warriors (1-28, 1-14) and Lady Owls (24-4, 11-3) where they both left runners on base eventually came to fruition for OIT in the top of the third, as they loaded the bases with one out and saw a pair of RBI singles and a sacrifice fly plate three runs, which would prove to be all they needed as Corban struggled to move runners around the basepaths.
A solo homer off the bat of Owls' catcher Jayce Seavert pushed Tech's lead to four in the fifth, along with two more in the sixth which had the Navy and Gold staring down a six-run deficit with two offensive opportunities remaining. Determined to score against the No. 2-ranked Lady Owls once again, junior first baseman Peyton Foreman doubled to deep right centerfield in the bottom of the sixth after senior second baseman Alexis Figueroa walked to score their first run of the ballgame and avoid the shutout.
Junior southpaw Vanesa Quinones went 5.1 innings for the Warriors with all six runs for OIT coming across as earned off nine hits and a pair of strikeouts. Freshman reliever Miranda Scovil held down the fort defensively for the remaining 1.2 frames, with just one walk and one hit against her season totals.
Owls' starter Kacie Schmidt picked up her third win on the weekend by going the minimum 5.0 innings and allowing just a single hit with four punchouts, hitting two batters along the way. Schmidt gave way to relief pitcher Alli Parker to start the bottom of the sixth, who allowed Corban's lone run to score off two hits yet struck out three in the seventh to hold Schmidt's win.
Junior rightfielder Gianna Redman logged the Warriors' lone hit of the game against Schmidt by leading off the bottom of the first with a double down the leftfielder line, while Foreman and freshman designated player Regan Rasmussen tallied a hit apiece.
Seavert powered Oregon Tech to the CCC series sweep with a 2-for-4 outing at the plate, picking up an RBI and scoring a third of her team's runs. Third baseman Addison Kachnik was 2-for-3 offensively with an RBI as well.
Game 2 – No. 2 OIT 6, Corban 5 (5 Innings)
A consistent rainfall crept on to Corban's campus prior to the start of the non-conference matchup, with pitchers from both squads struggling with their command and getting pitches over the plate, resulting in 12 combined walks and two hit batsmen across a rain-shortened five innings played.
The Lady Owls scored a single run in every inning aside from when they netted two in the top of the fifth, as they left 12 runners on base and the bases loaded on numerous occasions with the Warrior defense making the adjustments needed to keep within striking distance. After Rasmussen sacrifice bunted herself to score redshirt junior pinch hitter Madelyn Robinson from third base, Foreman came in clutch offensively once again with a two-run double in the right centerfield gap, cutting the OIT led to just 6-3 in what would obviously represent the final offensive opportunity as the rain continued to fall harder with each pitch.
A wild pitch from the Lady Owls scored Rasmussen and put Foreman on third base, who then scored on a sacrifice fly by junior second baseman Pressley Staudenmaier. However, Oregon Tech was able to clinch the four-game sweep by securing an out on the basepaths and then a strikeout looking to conclude the contest, which the umpires immediately called following the conclusion of the fifth.
Corban junior starting pitcher Kate Banks initially struggled with her command to begin each inning but held the nationally ranked Owls to three earned runs in 3.2 innings, walking four batters and seeing eight reach base via hits. Senior relief pitcher Sage Vanterpool secured the final out of the fourth but was unable to work through the fifth after the first three batters reached base, giving way to senior reliever Emmaleena Wood who allowed just one hit and nothing more.
Parker started game four of the series for OIT and saw all five runs score as earned and against her season totals in 4.0+ innings, walking a game-high five batters while striking out just as many on three total hits. Reliever Carli Moore helped maintain Parker's undefeated record by picking up her first save of the year.
Redman, Foreman, and senior pinch hitter Lola Benjamin all had base hits in game two of today's doubleheader, with Foreman adding another two RBI on the year.
Another two hits with three RBI for Seavert to close out Tech's time in Salem powered the Lady Owls offensively once again, with catcher Marla Goodspeed and centerfielder Malia Mick each reaching base safely each with a pair of hits.
The Warriors will head south to Ashland for their next CCC series, as the No. 1-ranked Raiders of Southern Oregon University (30-2, 13-1) will host Corban for their four-game series beginning on Friday, April 4th at 2/4pm.
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