Crakes Shuts down Saint Katherine to Finish Strong at TCS Classic for Corban Softball
LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. – Another day of games for the Corban University softball team ended in a split, with the Warriors falling in the 10 a.m. tilt at the clutches of the No. 25-ranked Marymount California University by a final tally of 9-6. The Navy and Gold would bounce back strong with a two-hit shutout performance from Ally Crakes to obliterate the University of Saint Katherine in the second game by a score of 9-0.
"Our bats came alive a little too late against Marymount, but we put up a fight," said head coach Rachel Martin. "Three home runs to score four runs in the seventh was an incredible effort. We didn't come out on top, but we discovered our true heart on the diamond. We carried that over into our second game and everything came together. We had dominant pitching, diving plays, and stolen bases, while riding both small ball and the long ball, making it a great game!"
Official stats were not provided by the tournament host.
The first game of the day between the No. 24-ranked Warriors and the No. 25-ranked Mariners of MCU began in Corban's favor with a three-hit bottom of the first inning that resulted in two runs. An RBI triple for Kaylee Buhrkuhl and an RBI single from Kayla Bailey put the Navy and Gold ahead early.
However, from that point on, it was all Marymount, as The Mariners scored nine unanswered runs between the top of the second and the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Warriors tried to create some late-inning heroics by picking up four runs before being retired. Corban's four seventh-inning runs were tallied as a result of solo homers by Kaycee Arase, Megan Rybar, and a two-run shot by Makiah Johnson.
Sarah Probasco, Kaylee Brown, and Crakes each toed the rubber in game one. The three of them split the seven innings of work. Probasco went 3.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits after throwing 44 pitches before Brown entered with one out in the fourth inning and tossed 1.1 innings of two-run (one earned) ball. Crakes finished off the matchup in the circle with 2.1 innings of work, giving up seven hits and three earned runs.
Johnson's 2-for-4 performance with two runs batted in on the round-tripper in the seventh led the team in both hits and RBI. Bailey and Arase also added two hits and an RBI apiece for the Warriors in the defeat.
The Mariners were led by a 4-for-4 day from clean-up hitter Michaela Kelly, who had three doubles and drove in a run on her lone single of the morning.
Pinch-hitter Taylor Roberts drove in two runs with a single in the fourth inning for MCU to lead the squad in the runs batted in category.
DeAndria Lockett performed admirably through her first six innings of work before allowing four runs in the bottom of the seventh. She had allowed just two earned runs on five hits allowed through six, and ended by allowing six earned runs on eight hits in a complete game effort.
The game two win over USK was highlighted by a masterful performance from Crakes, as she allowed just two hits in the entirety of her five innings of shutout softball. The game was shortened due to the run-rule of a lead of eight runs or more after five innings. Crakes struck out six batters and walked just two while throwing just 65 pitches in the victory.
The Warrior offense was quiet until the third inning, when they tacked on a five spot, highlighted by three singles resulting in four of the five runs.
Johnson (RBI), Buhrkuhl (RBI), and Sam Woodley (2 RBI) had the third-inning run-scoring singles that propelled the Navy and Gold into a comfortable lead.
The Warriors then saw a steal of home from Woodley and a three-run bomb off the bat of Ivey Uppinghouse in the bottom of the fifth to end the game at a 9-0 score over the Firebirds.
Kaitlyn Bailey was the starting pitcher for the Firebirds, having thrown 4.1 innings of six-run (four earned) softball before being replaced by Samantha Whitworth, who failed to record an out before the game ended, allowing three runs (two earned) on the jack by Uppinghouse.
Corban (2-4) will have a one-weekend hiatus before beginning their Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) season at home against Oregon Tech on February 21 at 1 p.m.