Eastern Takes a Game at No. 23 Corban
GAME 1 BOX GAME 2 BOX
SALEM, Ore. – The No. 23 Corban University softball team and Eastern Oregon University split a pair of games Thursday, 6-1 for Corban in the first game, and 5-3 for EOU in the second.
The Warriors (18-7, 3-4 Cascade Collegiate Conference) used a pair of home runs by Emma Winckler and Abbie Pynch, along with two doubles from Rachel Conard to ease past EOU in the opening game of four contests this weekend. Conard ended the game 3-for-3.
The first two games are a makeup doubleheader originally scheduled for March 16, in La Grande, that was postponed to March 28 in Salem due to rain. The March 28 doubleheader was then postponed due to rain Salem. Although Thursday’s games were played at Corban, EOU was the designated home team.
Amy Greenough stifled the Mountaineer batters on the mound. The junior allowed only two hits and one unearned run over six innings. She struck out eight batters and walked two others. Greenough improved to 8-4 with the victory. Jessica Slate threw the final inning, retiring the Eastern side in the bottom of the seventh.
The Warriors opened the scoring in the top of the second when Conard doubled to center field, bringing in Winckler. Pynch would add the second run in the top of the fourth with a home run over the center field wall. Eastern would get its first hit of the game in the bottom half of the inning when Wendt hit a two-out single through the right side.
Winckler would then hit her ninth home run of the season in the top of the fifth inning. The senior drove a ball deep over the left field wall to make the score 3-0. The Warriors then notched three runs in the sixth inning, with Conard driving in a pair of runs off of her second double.
Eastern’s Emily Anderson hit a home run over the center field fence early in the bottom of the sixth inning, scoring the Mountaineers’ lone run. EOU left two runners on base, while Corban stranded 11. Eastern Oregon committed the only error in the game.
Alex Hillmick was credited with the loss. She threw a complete game, allowing 11 hits and six earned runs. Hillmick struck out three batters. The sophomore is now 4-5 on the season.
The second game would be a pitcher's duel through the opening three innings before Corban finally got on the board in the top of the fourth thanks to a two-out double to left field by junior Stephanie Nippert before she came around to score on a RBI single to left center by Winckler. After a wild pitch moved Winckler to second, Conard ripped a single through the right side that allowed Winckler to score giving Corban an early 2-0 lead.
Unfortunately, Corban could not hold Eastern Oregon (8-12, 4-8) at bay as the host Mountaineers plated five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning with Ashli Hughes and Georgianna Kelly each collecting a RBI. When everything was said and done, Eastern Oregon had a three-run lead, 5-2.
Neither team would score again until the top of the seventh inning when Corban loaded the bases with one out. DeHart would then rip a single down the left field line that allowed Conard to score following her leadoff single. Unfortunately, EOU's Kelly would gun down Chestnut at the plate to end the game and preserve a hard-fought two-run victory (5-3) for the Mountaineers.
Junior Chelsea Schriber went the opening 3.0 innings for Corban allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits before Slate pitched the final 3.0 innings allowing one unearned run on two hits.
Eastern Oregon's bats were led by Lacey Price with a pair of hits, while Kayla Anderson went the distance in the circle for the Mountaineers allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits with a game-high five strikeouts.
Corban welcomes No. 19 College of Idaho Friday for a doubleheader, and then EOU again on Saturday for a doubleheader.