ROCKLIN, Calif. - The Lady Warriors returned to the diamond for their fourth home series in the past two weeks, this time welcoming back (3) Southern Oregon. The Warriors would answer back in game one and ride the finish with a 7-1 victory, but the Raiders charged back taking an early exit in game two as the Warriors lost 11-0 in five splitting with SOU and improving to 13-8 overall.
Game 1
Starting things all with a blank first three innings, the Warriors had the first opportunity with bases loaded in the bottom of the first, but a groundout would retire the inning and keep the game scoreless.
It wouldn't be until the top of the fourth that the scoreboard would light up in favor of the Raiders with a pair of singles that would bring the first run of the game across the plate.
Jessup wouldn't answer back in the following frame, but the bats would start cracking in the fifth. The dynamic duo in
Corina Salinas and
Abbie Lewis would start things off with singles as
Shelbi Graifman would step into the box and hit a bomb over the left field fence for the 3-1 advantage.
Natalie Basaldua would follow up with a single and
Jena Ovens would end the multi-run inning with a home run of her own over the same fence to extend the lead 5-1.
In the following inning, the Warriors would add a couple more runs to distance the Raiders as
Stephanie Scott singled and made her way around the bases on a Lewis single to score. Lewis would steal second and come in for the final run of the game from a single by Graifman to take the lead 7-1.
Graifman would collect her 11th win of the season in the circle with a complete seven innings pitched allowing just one run on five hits with eight strikeouts. Basaldua led the Warriors offensively going 3-for-4 and followed Ovens (2-3), Scott (2-3), Graifman (2-4) and Lewis (2-4).
Game 2
The nationally ranked Raiders were determined to redeem themselves in game two as they hit the board first and would leave the Warriors scoreless through five innings.
Jenna Patterson would take the circle for the Warriors for her 2.1 inning appearance allowing nine of the runs on eight hits.
Brooke Sarro would come in for the remainder of the game allowing the final two runs for the Raiders on four hits in her 2.2 inning outing.
The Warriors would have another three runners stranded in the bottom of the third as Scott singled to left-center and Salinas would push Sarro to third with Graifman advancing on a walk, but unable to push a run across.
The only other hit would come in the second inning from Ovens as the Raiders held the Warriors to two hits in the five-inning game.
The Warriors improve to 13-8 heading into conference play with a week off before they head to Arizona Christian for their first GSAC matchup March 9th followed by future conference opponent Ottawa University - AZ on March 10th.
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William Jessup University is a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the Golden State Athletic Conference (GSAC). For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on William Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: William Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat).
