LINCOLN, Calif. – The schedule did not get any easier for the Warriors on Saturday, as after dropping two to the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation, Jessup had to get back on the diamond and face them again Saturday. The Warriors rallied and put up a great fight but ultimately took home two losses from a long day at Wilson Park.
"This weekend, we played two very tough opponents, facing number one and two back-to-back is no easy task, but our players showed growth," said head coach
Brie Campbell.
Game one, a 10 a.m. first pitch, saw the Warriors square off with No. 2 The College of Idaho. The Yotes ended Jessup's night early yesterday in just five innings, so the Warriors were looking to right the ship.
COI struck first with an RBI single in the first inning, but the Warriors quickly evened the score with a sacrifice fly from
Shay Trent.
The Warriors took the lead in the bottom of the fourth thanks to a two-run single from
Maikyla Nelson, as Jessup's starting pitcher gave herself some run support.
In the circle, Nelson tossed 4.1 innings while allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out and walking one batter.
But the lead did not last as the Yotes scored two in the fifth and one in the sixth to take the ballgame 5-3.
Jessup was now 0-3 on the weekend, and next up was the No. 1 team in the nation, Oregon Tech. While Oregon Tech did beat the Warriors yesterday, Jessup does hold two wins over them from the opening weekend of the season.
The Owls jumped to a 3-0 lead to start this one before the Warriors could get some offense going in the third as two runs scored on an error.
OIT did not let the Jessup rally continue, though, as they proceeded to score five unanswered over the middle innings, pushing their lead up to 7-2.
Natalie Nash sparked Jessup's second rally as her triple drove in
Kaela Hangebrauck. Nash later scored, along with Trent, as
Kaylee Winn tripled as well to cut the OIT lead to two. Jessup had a chance to keep the lineup moving with runners on second and third, but the Owls stopped the bleeding, securing a 7-5 victory.
"While the scoreboard didn't go in our favor today, we saw growth from yesterday, and adjustments are made. That's all we can ask," added Campbell. "We look forward to the next two weekends of non-conference to get better so we are in the groove ready to compete in GSAC come mid-March."
Terra Goetz and
Katie Blankenheim combined for seven innings in the circle for game two. Goetz takes the loss after 2.1 innings and three runs.
After four games of softball this weekend, the Warriors fall to 8-6 overall.
Jessup will be back at it with four more games next weekend as they welcome Eastern Oregon and Simpson to Lincoln. Action starts at noon on Friday from Foskett Regional Park.
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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).
