Senior Lindsay Batey collected the 100th hit of her career in today's upset of The College of Idaho.
Sailors Leads Corban to Upset of #14-Ranked 'Yotes
LIVERMORE, Calif. -- Junior Erin Sailors (Anchorage, Alaska) pitched a complete game and recorded eight strikeouts, as Corban's softball team opened the 2008 season with a 2-1 upset victory over the NAIA's No. 14-ranked College of Idaho Friday afternoon at Robertson Field.
For the second season in a row, Corban and The College of Idaho went head-to-head at the Priscilla Benham Memorial Softball Tournament in Northern California.
All of today's scoring happened in the first inning, as the denoted visiting team -- The College of Idaho -- scored its lone run in the top of the stanza via an RBI single to left field by Stephanie Stover that scored Nicole Antonoplos. Prior to Stover's RBI single, Sailors looked to have recorded a strikeout of the junior outfielder only to have the home plate umpire call the second illegal pitch of the inning therefore extending the at-bat and setting up the run scoring hit.
Without hesitation, Corban came up for the first time all season and began the season with a single by sophomore Jessica Pierce (Kennewick, Wash.). Freshman Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) then walked following a stolen base by Pierce. Sophomore Josie Strange (Chehalis, Wash.) then loaded the bases, as she was hit by a Katie Zillner pitch before senior Lindsay Batey (Aloha, Ore.) brought home the Warriors' first run of the season via a walk. With the bases still loaded, senior Jennifer Childers (Winston, Ore.) was at the plate when the game-winning run was scored via a pass ball that allowed Jones to cross the plate. The Warriors had the bases loaded for the third time in the inning when Zillner recorded back-to-back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the jam and keep the Lady 'Yotes within one run.
Both teams battled back and forth for the remaining six innings until the top of the seventh inning when Corban sophomore Kacie Emerick (Bellingham, Wash.) made a diving catch in right-centerfield to rob the 'Yotes of a potential triple and preserve the Warriors' one-run lead.
For the Warriors, Pierce led the offense with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate that including a pair of singles and one run scored. Meanwhile, Batey recorded the 100th hit of her career with a single to right field as the senior infielder went 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk and an RBI. Junior Megan Gaylord (Portland, Ore.) was the only other Warrior to register a hit, as she went 1-for-2 at the plate with a single. Sailors pitched all seven innings, allowing one run on five hits to go along with her game-high tying eight strikeouts.
The College of Idaho was led by Stover's 2-for-2 performance at the plate, while Antonoplos and Haley Butcher were each 1-for-3 on the day. Zillner, who is the reigning conference and regional Player of the Year, went the distance in the circle allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out a game-high tying eight Warriors.
With the victory, Corban improves to 1-0 on the young season while The College of Idaho drops to 0-1. The Warriors will return to the diamond on Saturday, February 16th, when they continue play in the Priscilla Benham Memorial Softball Tournament against Dominican University beginning at 10:30 a.m. in Livermore, California.