Senior Rachel Kazmierski drove in the game-winning runs Saturday, as Corban snapped nationally-ranked Concordia's 10-game winning streak to open conference play this season.
Corban Takes One From No. 6 Cavs of Concordia
BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
SALEM, Ore. – Senior Rachel Kazmierski (Eugene, Ore.) drove in the game-winning run with a double before junior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) shut down the visiting Cavaliers' offense in Game #1, as Corban's softball team split a double header with the NAIA's No. 6-ranked Concordia, 3-1 & 1-3, Saturday on Warrior Field.
With today's double header split, Corban moves to 15-18 overall and 7-5 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play. Meanwhile, Concordia had its 13-game winning streak snapped and suffered its first conference loss in the process moving to 22-2 overall and 11-1 in league action.
Junior Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) would lead Corban's offense with a combined 3-for-6 performance that included one run scored and one run batted in. Senior Jessica Schell (Portland, Ore.), freshman Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.), and freshman Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.) would register two hits each, while Kazmierski recorded the lone extra base hit in Game #1.
GAME #1 – CORBAN 3, CONCORDIA 1
The opener would be a pitching dual until the top of the fifth inning when Concordia's Becca Gawlista registered a lead off single to right center before advancing to second on a Warrior fielding error. A sacrifice bunt by Tina Garcia would move Gawlista over to third before she scored one batter later on a throwing error by Corban's second baseman to give the visiting Cavaliers a 1-0 lead.
Corban would go into its next-to-last at-bat of the game still trailing by one run before Jones reached on a Cavalier fielding error to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning. DeHart would sacrifice Jones to second before the third-year Warrior came home on Nippert's single down the left field line to knot things at 1-all. Freshman Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.) would then draw a walk to put runners on first and second with one out before Kazmierski belted a two-run double that hit off the base of the left field fence for a two-run Warrior lead (3-1).
Concordia would threaten in the top of the seventh inning, but solid Warrior defense would result in the visiting Cavaliers' first conference loss of the season.
Jones, Nippert, and Kazmierski were the only Warriors to register hits in the opener, while Marchbanks went the distance for her team and conference-leading 16th complete game of the season allowing one unearned run on two hits to go along with five strikeouts.
Concordia would get a pair of singles from Kayla Vickaryous and Gawlista, while Renee Santos went the distance allowing three unearned runs on three hits to go along with a game-high nine K's.
GAME #2 – CONCORDIA 3, CORBAN 1
The finale would be very similar to the opener, as neither team would score over the opening innings until Corban struck in the bottom of the fourth on Jones' RBI single to left center that allowed Schell to score from second following her lead off single down the left field line.
Clinging to a slim one-run lead (1-0) heading into the final inning, Corban would watch as the nationally-ranked Cavaliers would strike for three runs on one hit. Concordia's Cameron Way would lead off the inning with a walk before advancing to second on a throwing error by Corban that put runners on first and second with no outs. A single down the right field line by Kyndell Andrews would plate Way with the game-tying run before Gawlista and Andrews would score on back-to-back Corban errors for the final tally of 3-1 in favor of Concordia.
Looking to secure its 22nd win of the season, Concordia wasted no time in the bottom of the seventh inning getting the Warriors in order for the come-from-behind victory.
Jones, DeHart, and Schell would each register two hits for Corban, while sophomore Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) went the opening 5.0 innings allowing six hits before turning the ball over to Marchbanks for the final six outs. Over the final two innings, Marchbanks would allow three unearned runs on one hit en route to suffering the heart-wrenching loss.
Concordia was led offensively by Ali Paz and Andrews, who each went 2-for-3 at the plate to go along with hits by Vickaryous, Garcia, and Courtney Wooden. The Cavaliers' Danielle Pulfrey went the distance allowing one earned run on seven hits to go along with a game-high eight strikeouts.
Corban will return to the field on Tuesday, April 13th, in an afternoon double header against conference rival Northwest Christian beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Eugene.