SALEM, Ore. – An otherwise beautiful spring day in the Willamette Valley for the Corban University Softball team's Senior Day was compromised by the visiting program at Warrior Field, as the Navy and Gold dropped 2-1 and 16-4 decisions to Warner Pacific University, thus rounding out their home schedule in the spring 2025 season.
Prior to the start of game four, the Corban softball program honored their seven senior student-athletes who would be participating in their final home games as Warriors. Those recognized included first baseman Lola Benjamin, catcher Alicia Chavez, second baseman Alexis Figueroa, outfielder Madelynne Pierce, first baseman Madelyn Robinson, pitcher/infielder Sage Vanterpool, and pitcher Emmaleena Wood.
"It was a battle in the first game, Miranda pitched outstanding, but we just came up a couple hits short," began Corban head coach Jeff Covalt when asked on today's Senior Day doubleheader. "We are proud of our seniors, and it was great to have them finish their careers together at home and be celebrated. Next week, we get to do it one more time and I'm excited to see what's to come."
Game 1 – Warner Pacific 2, Corban 1
After going strong through four innings in yesterday's 3-2 game one victory for the Warriors (4-37, 2-22), freshman starting pitcher Miranda Scovil took a no-hitter in the fifth inning of game three this afternoon with the only Warner Pacific (12-29, 8-16) runners reaching base on errors and a single hit batsman. The Navy and Gold held a 1-0 run through five frames thanks to a pinch-hit double off the bat of freshman Mckenna Hanson that scored junior first baseman Peyton Foreman in the bottom of the third.
In the top of the sixth, the Knights put the tying run on third and go-ahead run at second with two outs in the inning, which they were able to flip their deficit into their first lead of the day after a single up the middle scored the tying run and a fielding error allowed the go-ahead runner to cross home plate unearned from second.
Now trailing 2-1, the Warriors would put the tying run sixty feet from home in the bottom of the sixth, but a fly-out to center and a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh provided WPU with the comeback road victory to seal the conference series win.
Scovil racked up another seven strikeouts this afternoon in her fourth complete-game effort of the 2025 season, allowing just a single earned run off three hits and no walks.
Knights' starter Briana Munoz picked up her second win on the week in the circle after holding Corban to one run on seven hits, three walks, and a pair of punchouts.
Warriors' junior centerfielder Regan McDaniel finished 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot of Coach Covalt's lineup in game three of their four-game set, with Hanson leading a quintet of Corban hitters (Foreman, freshman second baseman Regan Rasmussen, junior designated player Isabel Carattini, and junior shortstop Leata Senio) with one base hit apiece.
The Knights' three base hits were scattered across two innings by three different batters, with pinch hitter Skylar Groesbeck earning the game-winning base knock up the middle of the infield that scored the two runs WPU needed to win the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) finale.
Game 2 – Warner Pacific 16, Corban 4 (5 Innings)
With Corban starting their seven seniors to honor them in their final home contest as Warriors, Warner Pac didn't pull any of their punches in a trivial non-conference game, opening up an 8-0 lead through two frames while stealing second base and home plate on walks issued alongside tagging up to advance sixty feet on flyouts despite their double-digit lead throughout a 16-4 run-rule blowout. Two of Corban's four runs came in the bottom of the seventh off the bat of senior leaders who played out their last matchup at the foot of campus with insurmountable levels of class.
Wood started her first game of the season and allowed four runs off two hits and four walks issued, while Vanterpool pitched an inning of relief out of the pen with four more runs issued on two hits and three walks. Junior relievers Amy Jankowski and Vanesa Quinones allowed three and four runs to score, respectively, with all four of Quinones runs crossing unearned.
A four-run, seven-hit, and four-strikeout complete game effort from Knights' starting pitcher Kili Makanani gave the visiting team their second-highest win total in program history, as they've amassed double-digit wins for only the second time in six seasons.
Leadoff hitter and sophomore centerfielder Breanna Crosby finished a perfect 2-for-2 for the Corban offense, while junior third baseman Kassandra Douglas secured another two hits to represent the multi-hit outings for Corban. Seniors Chavez, Figueroa, and Benjamin all picked up base hits in their final home games donning the navy and gold threads, with Pierce scoring a run as well.
Two hits for four different Warner Pac batters resulted in the lopsided non-conference victory for the Knights, led by leftfielder Mailli Bode and her two hits, five RBI, and run scored. Makanani scored four runs to provide herself some cushion on defense in her fourth win of the year.
Next week, the Corban softball program will wrap up their 2025 regular season north of the United States border in Vancouver, British Columbia, where they will battle the University of British Columbia (16-16, 11-11) in a four-game series beginning on Friday, April 25th at 2/4pm.
Follow Corban Athletics:
Facebook l Twitter l Instagram l YouTube l Email
