SALEM, Ore. – St. Patrick's Day didn't prove to be lucky for the Northwest Christian University softball team as the Beacons were swept in a double-header on Tuesday by Corban University, 4-1 and 12-6.
GAME ONE Emily Buhrkuhl (10-2) allowed two hits in a complete game victory for the Warriors in the opener, allowing just one unearned run.
Katie Walker (3-7) went the distance for NCU allowing nine hits, the biggest two coming off the bat of Jamie Costa with a pair of home runs.
Corban posted a run in the bottom of the first inning and in the top of the fourth, NCU tied the game when
Jill Suratt came home from third on an RBI hit from
Kaeli Massetto (pictured). In the bottom of the fourth, however, Costa hit her first bomb to deep left field, a two-run blast that gave the Warriors the lead for good.
Costa added her second jack in the sixth inning, a two-out homer to center field.
Suratt and
Addy Hoskins picked up NCU's two hits, both singles.
GAME TWO Corban once again took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, without getting a hit against starter Suratt (1-6). Leadoff hitter Annie Owen was hit by a pitch to open the game, stole second base and was moved to third on a groundout. A wild pitch brought her home.
Corban added another run in the second inning on Costa's third home run of the day, but the Beacons rallied in the third inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Randi Kostner reached on an error to open the inning and after stealing second base, scored on another error.
Ashlee Cole hit an RBI double to score Hoskins and then Massetto crushed her first career home run to left field.
The Warriors wasted little time getting those runs back in the bottom half of the third as Kyrianna Sorensen blasted a three-run homer and Owen benefitted from a bases-loaded walk to bring home Shelby Mauermann, making it 6-4.
NCU got a run back in the fourth with an RBI groundout by Hoskins, scoring
Katelin Downes, but the Warriors put things out of reach with a six-run fifth inning.
The Beacons scored one more run in the sixth, but Corban finished off the 12-6 victory.
Massetto finished the game batting 3-for-3 with her home run and a double, grabbing two RBI. The junior bumped her season batting average up to a team leading .385.
NCU returns to Eugene on Friday for their first CCC home games of the season, hosting Oregon Tech at 2 p.m.
