FULLERTON, Calif. – Riding a wave of momentum after two wins to start the season yesterday, Jessup Softball officially wrapped up their regular season with a doubleheader at (8) Hope International. Jessup struggled to find the run support needed in both games, as they dropped both.
 
The Warriors were on the brink of closing out the opening inning keeping the Royals off the board, but then with two outs, Alena De La Torre singled to center field, plating two runs. Then in the second inning, the Royals got more two-out magic.
 
HIU got three base knocks in the bottom of the second, all with two outs that extended their lead to 4-0. Katie Blankenheim then stepped into the circle for Jessup in the third inning, getting to work right away.
 
After giving up a base hit to start, Blankenheim got the next six consecutive batters out as she was in a groove. However, the Royals would get a pair of runners on with no outs in the fifth off a leadoff double from Nicole Wise that was followed by a single from Skyler Mao. Blankenheim stayed calm and came out of the inning, allowing no runs getting the next three batters out.
 
The Warriors got their next base hit in the fifth inning from Sam Lorge, but no runs came of it, and after a scoreless sixth and seventh frame, Jessup went on to lose 4-0.
 
With Blankenheim starting game two, she continued to play well in the circle. Things were scoreless through two innings, and the great work from Blankenheim gave her six straight innings on the day of allowing zero runs.
 
Needing run support, the Warriors got exactly that off the bat of Lorge. As the leadoff batter in the third inning, Lorge took a big swing and connected perfectly on a thunderous crack of the bat for a solo shot putting the Warriors on top, 1-0.
 
Unfortunately, the lead was short-lived as the Royals replicated game one with a clutch two-out hit, but this time it cleared the fence putting up three runs off one swing. Blankenheim and the Warrior defense anchored back in and didn't allow any more runs.
 
Just as the Warrior defense finished strong, the same can be said for the Royals as Olivia Candelas pitched three straight innings of hitless softball from the fourth through the sixth inning. That soon changed as Mehana Johns led the seventh inning off with a much-needed base hit.
 
Maddy Melo was then inserted as a pinch-runner, and with two outs, Emma McConville singled to left field. Melo took off in a full sprint headed for third base but was called out in a bang-bang play to end the game. 
 
Jessup concludes a season that saw all games on their schedule except one come against teams receiving national votes. In year two under Head Coach Brie Campbell, Jessup finished 19-21, 12-11 in conference play.
   
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 and Instagram).