Corban Sweeps Northwest Christian Thanks to Sisler, Sailors
SALEM, Ore. – Junior Karlee Sisler (Corvallis, Ore.) hit her fourth home run of the season and drove in the game-winning RBIs in the night cap to go along with junior Erin Sailors' (Anchorage, Alaska) complete game two-hit performance in the opener, as Corban's softball team swept Northwest Christian, 4-0 & 5-4, Friday at Warrior Field.
Today's doubleheader sweep is the first for the Warriors' softball program since then-Western Baptist took two straight games from the Mountaineers of Eastern Oregon on April 30, 2005 in La Grande.
Game #1 – Corban 4, Northwest Christian 0
In the opener, it was a pitcher's dual until the bottom of the fourth inning when Sisler belted her team-leading fourth home run of the season over the left center field fence to give the Warriors an early 1-0 lead.
Sisler's second home run in less than twenty-four hours gave Sailors all the run support that she would need, as the junior right-hander surrendered a mere two hits over seven innings to go along with her game-high nine strikeouts.
Clinging to a slim one-run lead, Corban added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as freshman Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) led off the frame with a single to left field. The very next batter -- senior Lindsay Batey (Aloha, Ore.) -- brought Jones home with a triple to right field before coming home herself on a wild pitch one batter later. Sophomore Josie Strange (Chehalis, Wash.) reached base via a hit by pitch before stealing second. After Batey scored, sophomore Jessica Pierce (Kennewick, Wash.) brought Strange home with a double to left center for the game's final run.
Offensively, Pierce led the Warriors with a 2-for-3 performance that included an RBI to go along with four other Warriors -- junior Megan Gaylord (Portland, Ore.), Jones, Batey, and Sisler -- who each registered a hit in the opener.
For Northwest Christian, Jonni Byrne and Jayde Curry were the only Beacons to register hits off Sailors as Northwest Christian got a mere three runners past second base in the game. Pitching-wise for the Beacons, Darci Byrne went the distance allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits while fanning four Warrior batters.
Game #2 - Corban 5, Northwest Christian 4
The night cap was a different story for the visiting Beacons, as Northwest Christian plated runs in the first, fifth, and seventh inning.
In the opening inning, NCC's Cassie Bishop led things off with a single to left center before advancing to second on a wild pitch. One batter later, Cotie Howard brought Bishop home with a single up the middle for the Beacons' first run of the afternoon.
Trailing by a mere run heading into the bottom of the third inning, the first two Corban batters got out via a bunt to third and a pop-fly to the pitcher. With no runners on and two outs, Batey stepped to the plate and belted her third home run of the season -- a blast to straight-away center field -- to tie the game at 1-all. Batey's bomb was her third in three games that included a pair of game-winning shots against Southern Oregon and Concordia.
In the top of the fifth inning, Northwest Christian got a lead off single to short from Jonni Byrne before Amber Kraaz reached via a fielder's choice. Following a fly out by Lissa Hatefi, Bishop belted her fifth home run of the season -- a mammoth shot that cleared the scoreboard in left center field -- to give the visiting Beacons a two-run advantage (3-1).
Wasting no time, Corban came to bat in the bottom half of the fifth inning and got a one-out single up the middle by Jones before Batey singled through the left side to advance everyone one base. Strange then came to the plate and roped a double to right center that scored Jones from second to pull the host Warriors within a single run (3-2). Sisler then roped a seeing-eye double to left field that allowed both Batey and Strange to score to give Corban a slim one-run lead (4-3).
In the bottom of the sixth, Corban added a much-needed insurance run as freshman Kacie Emerick (Bellingham, Wash.) registered a one-out single to left field before advancing to second on Gaylord's sacrifice bunt. Following the sacrifice bunt, Jones singled to first base allowing Emerick to score all the way from second to give Corban a two-run lead (5-3) heading into the final inning of play.
Trailing by two runs in the top of the seventh inning, Northwest Christian got a one-out walk from Amber Kraaz before Hatefi was hit by a pitch therefore putting runners on first and second with one out. Following a strikeout, Corrie Gustafson hit a bloop single to left field that allowed Kraaz to score from third to pull the visiting Beacons within one run (5-4). Unfortunately for Northwest Christian, Hatefi was thrown out at third trying to get from second to third on the throw home from Corban's left fielder to end the game and the Beacons' chances of extending the game.
Sisler pitched the first 6.0 innings for Corban, allowing three runs (all earned) on six hits to go along with a game-high tying three strikeouts. Sailors came on in relief of Sisler in the seventh inning and allowed one earned run on one hit, while fanning a pair of Beacon batters en route to earning her first save of the season.
Corban was led offensively in the night cap by Jones, who went 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI and a run scored. Meanwhile, Batey turned in a 2-for-4 performance to go along with four other Warriors -- Strange, Sisler, Pierce, and Emerick -- who each recorded a hit in the victory.
Offensively, the Beacons were led by Howard's perfect 3-for-3 performance that included an RBI while Bishop concluded the night cap with a 2-for-4 showing that featured a pair of RBIs and two runs scored. Megan McLearn went the distance for Northwest Christian allowing five runs (all earned) on nine hits, while striking out a game-high tying three batters.
With the sweep, Corban improves to 8-15 overall, 5-7 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Northwest Christian falls to 7-20 overall, 1-10 in CCC action. The Warriors are back in action on Monday, April 7th, when they travel north to Burnaby, British Columbia to take on the NAIA's No. 9-ranked Clan of Simon Fraser in a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 1:00 p.m. at Surrey's Softball City.