March 29, 2010

SALEM, Ore. - Freshman Tamara Feb (Oregon City, Ore.) tied a NAIA single-game record with three home runs in the night cap, as Corban's (Ore.) softball team split a double header with Southern Oregon, 4-5 and 8-3, Friday at Warrior Field.

After Friday's split, Corban is now 11-16 overall and 3-3 in Cascade Collegiate Conference action. Meanwhile, Southern Oregon is 7-13, 3-3.

Feb went a combined 4-for-8 at the plate with three runs scored and three runs batted in, as she became the 16th player in NAIA history to hit three home runs in the same game after fellow Cascade Collegiate Conference player Brooke Davis of Northwest Christian (Ore.) accomplished the feat twice in the past two seasons. The first-year Warrior belted three solo home runs in consecutive at-bats in the second, third and fifth innings of the second game with the final long ball traveling approximately 260 feet over the left field fence.

Offensively, Feb was aided by fellow freshman Stephanie Nippert (Rocklin, Calif.) and senior Rebecca Franke (Pendleton, Ore.) who each belted home runs in the finale that included a three-run shot by Nippert for her team-leading fifth home run of the season. Freshman Liane DeHart (Kent, Wash.) also collected four hits on the afternoon thanks to a pair of 2-for-4 performances at the plate, while also collecting her team-leading 20th stolen base of the season to set a new single-season Warrior record.

Game 1 - Southern Oregon 5, Corban 4
The opener was a pitching dual until the third inning when Southern Oregon plated a single run via Meghan Laughlin's bases loaded single to center field that scored Rayna Okimoto from third for an early 1-0 Raider lead.

In the bottom of the third inning, Corban would take the lead by one run (2-1) thanks to a double steal and a Raider throwing error. Junior Jessie Jones (Gladstone, Ore.) drew a lead off walk, stole second and advanced to third on DeHart's bunt single. During the next at-bat, Jones and DeHart executed a double steal that knotted the game at 1-1 before DeHart came home on a SOU throwing error on Nippert's bunt single.

The Warriors grabbed a two-run lead (3-1) in the bottom of the fourth inning when freshman Katie Steigleman (Eugene, Ore.) led off the inning with a single down the right-field line and came around to score on Jones' RBI ground out.

Southern Oregon pulled back within a run (3-2) in the top of the fifth inning when Laughlin drove home her second run of the game via a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Kathryn Moy after she reached on a Warrior error to lead off the inning.

In the top of the sixth inning, Southern Oregon plated two runs on RBI singles by Karri Johnson and Moy en route to grabbing a one-run lead (4-3).

Corban tied the game for the third time in the bottom of the sixth frame when DeHart singled to center field driving in senior Rachel Kazmierski (Eugene, Ore.), who led off the inning with a walk, to knot the score at 4-4.

Southern Oregon took the lead for good in the top of the seventh inning when Bailey Price registered a one-out walk and came around to score on a Warrior throwing error two batters later for a 5-4 Raider lead.

In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Erica Fitzgerald (Beaverton, Ore.) would register a one-out triple but could not come home with the tying run as SOU's defense buckled down getting the final two outs via an infield pop and a game-ending ground out for the hard-fought one-run victory (5-4).

Junior Makenzie Marchbanks (Sweet Home, Ore.) went the distance for Corban en route to recording her team-leading 13th complete game of the season. The first-year Warriors allowed five runs (three earned) on 11 hits to go along with one strikeout.

Southern Oregon was led offensively by four Raiders - Moy, Price, Johnson and Okimoto - that registered two hits each, while Johnson went the distance for SOU allowing four earned runs on seven hits to go along with a game-high two strike outs.

Game 2 - Corban 8, Southern Oregon 3
Friday's finale saw the scoring start with Feb's second home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the second inning before Jones singled up the middle to score Kazmierski for an early 2-0 Warrior lead.

The very next inning, Feb would belt her second home run of the game via a one-out solo shot over the left-field fence that made the score 3-0 in favor of the home team.

In Corban's half of the fourth inning, Franke pushed the Warriors' lead to four runs (4-0) via her first home run of the season that bounced off the top of the fence in left field before leaving the ballpark for her 10th career home run. The round tripper tied her for fourth all-time in program history.

One inning later, Feb would lead off with her third home run of the game - a monster shot over the left-field fence - that extended Corban's lead to 5-0 after the Warriors score five unanswered runs.

Southern Oregon would finally get on the board in the top of the sixth inning thanks to a two-run single through the infield by Sarah Wharton that scored Okimoto and Justine Fulton to cut the Warriors' lead to 5-2.

Corban's sixth inning would begin with back-to-back singles by Jones and DeHart, before Nippert deposited her team-leading fifth home run of the season over the left-field fence for an 8-2 Warrior lead.

Southern Oregon would score its third and final run in the top of the seventh inning when Okimoto brought home Lauren Keel with a sacrifice fly to right field.

Sophomore Brittany Wagner (Oregon City, Ore.) picked up her fifth victory of the season, allowing three earned runs on seven hits and struck out two.

Southern Oregon was led at the plate by seven different Raiders that registered a hit each, while Jessica Flores went the opening three innings for SOU allowing three earned runs on seven hits before giving way to Keel. The Raiders' reliever went the final three innings allowing five earned runs on seven hits to go along with a game-high four strikeouts.