LINCOLN, Calif. – A 4-0 week to start the season had the Warriors riding high heading into Wednesday. Beginning a week that will see the Warriors step on the diamond six times, Jessup suffered its first loss of the season as they settled for a split with the visiting Bushnell Beacons.
The day puts the Warriors at 5-1 on the season. Bushnell took the opening game 5-2 before an 8-0 route by the Warriors in the finale.
Head coach
Brie Campbell said of her side's performance, "I'm glad we were able to bounce back in the second game to prove to ourselves that one loss will not keep us down, but we also learned where our focus needs to shift when we start an early midweek series."
Jessup's ace
Katie Blankenheim, fresh off a 2-0 performance, got the starting nod in the opener. Bushnell got to Blankenheim early, plating runs in the first and the second. The righty would end the day after four innings, allowing four runs on seven hits.
Bella MacFarlane pitched the final three innings in relief, allowing one run (unearned) on three hits.
The Warriors got on the board in the second, thanks to an RBI single from
Hannah Aguilar. The second run came in the fifth on an odd play in the basepath.
Kaylee Winn tripped at second base, but on the attempted throw to get her out,
Neva Adams smartly scampered home.
Game two was a vastly different story, however, as the Warriors tagged the Beacons early and often, resulting in the game being called after five innings.
Holding down the fort was right-hander
Terra Goetz, as she tossed five shutout innings to pick up her second win of the season. Goetz allowed just two base runners in the ballgame while striking out six.
On the day of her pitching staff, Campbell added, "Katie and Bella were a great duo in game one, being able to fight a battle defensively, and Terra showed her dominance from the start and was able to leave it to two hits. Her leadership and focus today was parallel to the offensive force that came alive in game two. I'm looking forward to the weekend ahead and ending on a good note."
That offensive spark came in the form of an eight-run second inning, which saw the Warriors send 13 batters to the plate. Jessup scored via five hits, three walks, and two stolen bases in the frame.
Jessup's first run came on an RBI single from
Lexi Watson. After an RBI groundout and a bases-loaded walk,
Aaliyah Pineda added to the damage with an RBI single that saw a second run score off an error. The final tally came on
Karlie Bilbrey's two-run double to left center.
Pineda continued her hot start to the season by ending the day 3-for-6 with a pair of doubles and three runs scored.
The schedule continues for the Warriors on Friday as they start the first of four games over the weekend. Jessup will welcome a pair of schools for the Cascade Collegiate Conference to make up a packed round-robin weekend of softball.
Campbell added, "This week is full with six games, so we needed to be focused from the start, and we weren't able to do that, leaving too many runners on and not executing when we had opportunities."
Jessup will play Corban first on Friday, with that game being scheduled for 2 p.m. Later that evening, the Warriors will host No. 13 ranked College of Idaho.
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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 Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Twitter & Instagram).
