LINCOLN, Calif. – The Warriors were back in action on the softball diamond Friday as Jessup welcomed No. 5 Southern Oregon to town. For the second consecutive weekend, the Warriors took down a top-five program, as Jessup split the day with the Raiders.
"We played a tough two-game series against the defending national champs, can't ask for better softball than that," said head coach
Brie Campbell. "Game one was an awesome opportunity to see the ladies continue to grind and come through in the end, never giving up."
Game number one started with Southern Oregon drawing first blood, as the Raiders scored two runs in the first inning. Jessup responded well offensively, putting up three runs of its own to take an early lead.
Kaela Hangebrauck tied it up in the first with a two-RBI single before scoring the go-ahead run thanks to a single from
Kaylee Winn.
The Warriors added some insurance in the second, doubling their lead and making the score 4-2. Southern Oregon put up another crooked number in the fifth inning and tied things up at four.
In the seventh inning, Jessup's first two batters were retired. The Warriors got the offense rolling with two outs, however, as
Aaliyah Pineda and
Shay Trent both reached base safely. That brought up
Maddy Ybarra, who blasted a three-run homer over the left-center field fence to walk it off and give Jessup a 7-4 victory.
Katie Blankenheim earned her fourth win in as many appearances, pitching another complete game in the contest. Blankeheim didn't surrender any walks in the game.
Jessup kept the offense rolling to start the second game of the day, taking a 3-0 lead in the first three innings.
Kaylee Winn scored the first run of the game in the second, reaching home safely thanks to a Southern Oregon error.
Sam Lorge blasted a solo shot to make the score 2-0 in the third. Winn drove one more home in the third with a sacrifice fly.
Defensive lapses and errors allowed the Raiders to draw closer in the fourth and fifth innings. The Raiders put up four runs in the sixth and added one in the seventh to jump out to a 7-3 lead.
The Warriors threatened a comeback in the bottom half of the inning when
Kaylee Winn drove
Natalie Nash home with a single. Jessup couldn't complete the comeback, however, earning its first loss of the season 7-4.
"We got away from playing our game in the second matchup, but we're looking forward to two more opportunities tomorrow against Corban," said Campbell.
Jessup (7-1) will be back in action tomorrow when it hosts Corban University (2-4) for a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for noon, with game two beginning thirty minutes after the conclusion of the first.
***
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).
