IRVINE, Calif. – Jessup softball faced a challenging day on the diamond Saturday, dropping a pair of tightly contested games during their trip to the CUI Kickoff Classic. 

Despite showing resilience and late-inning sparks in both contests, the Warriors fell to Cal Poly Humboldt (2-1) 5-4 and Northwest Nazarene (3-1) 5-3.

Game One: Cal Poly Humboldt, 5-4

In the day's opening matchup against Cal Poly Humboldt, the Warriors jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Maliyah Lawson crossed the plate on a groundout from Maddy Ybarra. Jessup would extend their lead in the third as Ybarra scored off of an error from the Lumberjacks infield. Though in the bottom of the frame, Humboldt found their offensive rhythm with an RBI double to tie the matchup. 

The Warriors regained their advantage in the fifth off of a Neva Adams RBI single and Alexis Vega fielder's choice to go back up by two. In the final two frames, the Lumberjacks mounted a comeback. Humboldt came within one run in the sixth then walked it off in the bottom of the seventh from a two RBI triple down the right field line. In a back and forth battle, Jessup would drop their first meeting of the day. 

Game Two: Northwest Nazarene, 5-3

The afternoon finale against Northwest Nazarene saw late game push from the Warriors. The Nighthawks used the long ball to build an early 4-0 cushion, led by a solo shot and a two-run homer. Jessup refused to go quietly, mounting a rally in the bottom of the sixth. Reagann Hoblit sparked the offense with an RBI single to bring home Ybarra, followed by a heads-up play where Adams scored on a throwing error and Hoblit hustled home on a wild pitch. The three runs pulled the Warriors within one, but NNU added an insurance run in the seventh to seal the 5-3 final.

In the circle, Nohemi Livingston got the start for game one while Korrie Almond earned the start in the second matchup. Offensively, Maddy Ybarra remained a consistent threat at the top of the lineup, recording hits and scoring runs in both ends of the doubleheader.

The Warriors will look to bounce back and find the win column as they enter the final day of the CUI Kickoff Classic on Sunday, February 1st. Jessup will take on CSU Dominguez Hills at 9:00 AM before heading back up north for their first home game against Southern Oregon University on February 13th.