HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Northwest Christian University softball team dropped a pair of games on Thursday as they opened up a four-game series with Corban University, playing at Hillsboro Stadium due to poor field conditions in Salem.
 
Highlighted by a historic day for senior Jess Garner (pictured), The Beacons dropped the opener, 4-0 and the nightcap 13-6, but collected 16 combined hits.
 
Emma Jegtvig (6-12) threw a complete game for the Beacons in the opener, striking out seven batters in six innings of work as she allowed just two earned runs. After three scoreless innings, the Warriors got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with two unearned runs.
 
NCU looked to be in position to get something back in the fifth after Maya Jenkins, Sabrina Guerra and Avery Daniels loaded the bases with three straight one-out singles. Corban retired the next two hitters to escape and they went on to add a pair of insurance scores in the bottom half inning.
 
Game two was all Corban from the get-go as the Warriors went ahead 11-0 after the first three innings and looked well on their way to a five-inning run-rule victory. Corban had seven extra-base hits during their stretch including three RBI triples.
 
The Beacons, however, would not go quietly into the night and got back one run in the top of the fourth when Alexis Westbrooks brought home Jordan Kuykendall on an RBI double.
 
Having not seen any time in the circle since February 9, senior Madi Jones got her opportunity in the fifth inning and seized the moment. After a lead-off single in the bottom of the fourth, Jones settled in for three innings and did not allow an earned run as the Beacons began to charge.
 
Three straight singles opened the fifth inning and after an RBI groundout by Garner, Kuykendall blasted a two-run double to right-center field and NCU was suddenly back in business, trailing 11-4.
 
Then, in the top of the sixth inning, Garner broke a 14-at-bat hitless streak with a two-run double to left field. It was the Beacons tenth hit of the game but more importantly, it was the 146th hit of her illustrious career, tying her with Gabby  Stover for the NCU career record.
 
Garner, who also broke NCU's career at-bats record on Thursday and now holds five NCU Career records, will have her first opportunity to claim sole possession of the all-time hits record on Friday as the Beacons return to Hillsboro Stadium for another double-header with Corban beginning at 11:00 am.