Concordia's Janelle Cristofaro had three hits, six RBI's and four runs at the plate while earning the win on the mound in the second game versus Corban on Friday.
Cavs Sweep Corban in Regular-Season Finale
PORTLAND, Ore. – Behind a pair of strong pitching performances and timely hitting, the Concordia University softball team swept Corban College, 13-5 and 10-2 in two five-inning games on Friday at Delta Park.
With the wins, Concordia jumped to 21-14 on the year and 16-8 in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. Corban’s season ended with a 15-22 overall mark and an 11-13 record in CCC play. Concordia will enter the NAIA Region I tournament as the No. 3 seed and will face the host Owls of Oregon Tech, the No. 2 team in the region, on Thursday, May 8.
Simon Fraser will hold the No. 1 seed at the tournament while the fourth and final spot in the double-elimination tournament will be decided on Saturday in the conference doubleheader between The College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon. The Yotes will advance to the postseason with a split or better while EOU must garner a sweep on the road in Idaho.
Concordia opened with four runs in the first en route to a 13-5 win in the opener. Corban responded with three runs in the second to cut the lead to one, but the Cavaliers sent three across the plate in the third to expand its margin before batted 10 in the fifth while scoring six runs to end the contest.
Four Cavs recorded multiple hits. Casey Middagh (Milwaukie, Ore./Rex Putnam H.S.) scored a season-best three runs while Shayne Ostlund (Graham, Ore./Auburn Riverside H.S.) collected a season-best three RBI’s with a 2-for-3 performance at the plate.
CU starter Danielle Pulfrey (Hillsboro, Ore./Hillsboro H.S.) pitched the full five for the win. The sophomore struck out 10 Warrior batters while allowing seven hits and walking one. Erin Sailors (Anchorage, Alaska/Grace Christian H.S.) took the loss for Corban after allowing five hits and seven runs, only three of which were allowed. The two teams combined for seven errors.
In the second game of the day, Corban took the lead in the first inning but Concordia kept the scoring rate high as they placed six runs on the board in the home half of the stanza. Samantha Daline (Portland, Ore./Grant H.S.) capped the inning with a three-run homer over the left-field fence.
Neither team would score in the next two, but the Cavaliers would generate four runs in the fourth to take a 10-1 lead. Corban’s Josie Strange (Chehalis, Wash./W.F. West H.S.) hit a solo homer in the fifth for the final score of the game.
Janelle Cristofaro (Central Point, Ore./Crater H.S.) allowed six hits and one earned run for her fourth win of the year. Karlee Sisler (Corvallis, Ore./Santiam Christian H.S.) took the loss for Corban.
Both teams had six hits, but three walks and three Corban errors aided the Cavaliers. Cristofaro helped her own cause with the first home run of the year, a three-run shot to right-center field in the fourth, and finished the game with four RBI’s.