PORTLAND | Two competitive matchups for the Warner Pacific University Softball team (1-13, 0-8) fell just out of reach for the Knights, as they dropped the Friday doubleheader against the Corban University Warriors (10-13, 5-4) in their second conference home stand of the season, falling in game one 7-9, and game two 5-7.
 
Game 1
 
The visiting Warriors came out swinging in the second inning of game one, plating five runs in their frame, all with two outs against the Knights. Two home runs in the inning off the bats of rightfielder Anastasia Iosia and second baseman Taylor Beasley gave Corban a lengthy lead to work with, allowing their defense to take center stage.
 
Corban added another run in both the top of the third and fourth innings, resulting in a 7-0 lead over the hometown Knights with half of the game completed. Warner Pacific, who was held scoreless in their first home stand against the #1 Oregon Tech Owls, needed to find their own offensive identity if they had any chance picking up a victory today.
 
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Knights finally shook the monkey off their back, exploding for five runs to cut the Warriors lead to just a two-score game. The once mighty Corban defense suffered three errors in the inning, and coupled with a pair of WPU hits resulting in the first runs to cross the plate for the Knights in Erv Lind Stadium.
 
The Warriors added an insurance run in the top of the sixth inning, but the Knights quickly countered in the bottom half of their frame with another pair of runs to cross the plate, giving the fans present a 7-8 thriller headed into the seventh and final inning of regulation.
 
Warriors' substitute second baseman Cambria Kerze came through in the clutch for Corban in the top of the seventh, collecting a hit in her second at-bat of the evening to plate a run that would double their lead, giving the Knights a two-run hole to dig themselves out of in their final opportunity.
 
Warner Pacific brought the game-tying run to the plate twice in their last-ditch effort to steal a win away from the Warriors, but their final efforts fell just short, resulting in the 7-9 loss this afternoon in Portland.
 
Knights' sophomore starting pitcher Sammie Brauckmiller (0-4) was tagged for seven runs off nine hits in 5.1 innings pitched, walking three batters and striking one Warrior out in the process. Senior relief pitcher Carrigan Foster came in for 1.2 innings of relief for Brauckmiller, allowing two runs and a walk on three hits.
 
With the Knights offense finally coming together today, junior leftfielder Savannah Roddey and third baseman Payton Hergert each had multi-hit games for Warner Pacific, each collecting two hits, while Hergert plated two of the Knights' seven runs.
 
Corban's starting pitcher Alise Olson (3-4) escaped with her third win of the season, allowing four runs on five hits in 3.1 innings pitched, none of which were earned due to the Warriors' defensive struggles. Relief pitcher Holly Gonzales was tagged for an additional three unearned runs in her 3.2 innings of work, striking out three Knights and collecting the save out of the bullpen.
 
Iosia and Beasley each finished with three RBIs for the Warriors, while they both totaled two hits and at least one run in their trips to the plate. Designated player Madison Wyllie put together a 3-for-4 afternoon, adding and RBI and two runs scored to her season statistics.
 
Game 2
 
Game two started just as game one did for the road team Warriors, as they plated three runs in the top of the first inning to jump out to a quick lead, before centerfielder Meri McElligott blew the doors open with a three-run homer in the top of the second inning, sending Warner Pacific to a familiar 0-6 deficit.
 
After connecting for a home run in the season opening series against DII Western Oregon University, Knights' first baseman Emma Foster had been held without a homer for 11-straight games. She put that streak to an end in the bottom of the second inning, as she blasted a pitch over the left-centerfield fence to get Warner Pacific on the board, and spark yet another come-from-behind surge from the victory-hungry Knights.
 
Two more runs came across the plate for WPU in the bottom of the second, cutting the Warriors' lead to three runs once again. However, Corban capitalized and earned another run in the top of the third inning, but that would prove to be the final run to be scored against Warner Pacific for the remainder of the contest.
 
Unfortunately for the Knights, they would only plate two more runs in their attempt to bring back a win on their home field, but it wasn't without a bit of late-game drama. With the bases loaded and two outs, WPU relief pitcher/shortstop Carrigan Foster stepped to the plate with an opportunity to tie the game, or walk it off in style in the bottom of the seventh inning, but came up just shy by grounding out to shortstop to end the game at 5-7 in favor of Corban.
 
Warner Pacific starting pitcher Abby Carlson (1-6) struggled early for the Knights, allowing seven runs on seven hits in 2.0 innings pitched, while walking a batter along the way. C. Foster kept Warner Pacific within striking distance the rest of the game, allowing no runs on three hits in 5.0 innings of relief.
 
Hergert came through with yet another multi-hit game, reaching base on two hits and securing an RBI in four at-bats. E. Foster's home run was her second of the season, and currently leads the team in the category.
 
Gonzales (4-4) started for the Warriors after earning the save in game one, allowing five runs on nine hits in a complete 7.0 innings of work. She also struck out three Knights and walked zero batters, but did allow two batters to reach via hit by pitch.
 
McElligott led Corban offensively with three RBIs on her home run in the second inning, but would score an additional run herself after reaching via a walk in another at-bat. First baseman Paia'ala Wilcox-Molina collected two hits in four plate appearances, along with an RBI and earning a walk.
 
The Knights are back in action tomorrow morning for the second doubleheader of the weekend against Corban University, with game one set for an 11am PDT first pitch. Game two, the non-conference contest, will begin promptly following game one, with a predicted start time of 1pm PDT.