BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

PORTLAND, Ore. – Senior Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) went the distance pitching all nine innings and registered a career-high 11 strikeouts in the opener, as Corban's baseball team split an afternoon double header with Concordia, 1-0 & 8-9, Friday at Joe Etzel Field on the campus of the University of Portland.

In the opener, which lasted a mere one hour and 40 minutes, the Warriors put the game's lone run across via a Cavalier fielding error just before the traditional seventh-inning stretch.

In the top of the seventh inning, Corban got a one-out single from senior Russ Johnston (Independence, Ore.) before sophomore Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) singled down the right field line, which allowed Johnston to advance to third. Following an infield pop-out, junior Mitch Riddle (Pullman, Wash.) reached via the game's only miscue – a fielding error by Concordia's shortstop – that allowed Johnston to come home with the eventual game-winning run.

Despite surrendering a game-high eight hits to Concordia, Braun and the Warriors allowed the host Cavaliers to put a runner on third only twice during the game.

In the bottom of the second inning, Concordia got a runner 90 feet from home with two outs but could not put a run on the board. Five innings later, the Cavaliers once again got a runner within one base of scoring with two outs but could not tie the game at the point.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Concordia did get a lead off hit from Jon Houts before he went to second via a stolen base with no outs. Fortunately for the Warriors, a pair of strikeouts bookended a ground out to short en route to handing Corban its seventh win of the season.

Johnston led the Warriors' offensive attack with a pair of hits, while senior Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.), sophomore Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.), and Taylor each collected a hit. Braun went the distance allowing zero runs on eight hits to go along with his career-high strikeout effort.

For Concordia, Jimmy Rudig turned a 3-for-4 performance at the plate to go along with Houts' two-hit effort. On the mound, Ross Conway equaled Braun's complete-game effort allowing one unearned run on five hits to go along with one K.

In the night cap, Corban took the early lead via a pair of runs in the first inning when junior Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) led off the game with a single to left center before coming around on an error by the Cavs' left fielder. The very next batter – Braun – registered his first collegiate RBI via a ground out to second that scored junior Matt Schmidt (Corvallis, Ore.), who had reached base thanks to a single to left field and then advanced on the previously mention error and a pass ball.

Following a one-run opening inning by Concordia that brought the home team within one run (2-1), the Cavaliers exploded for seven runs on four hits in the next inning to pull ahead by six runs (8-2). The highlight of the frame came via a two-run single to right center by J.J. Berg, while two other Concordia players registered run-scoring hits.

After Corban got one run back in the top of the fifth inning thanks to Spicer's third home run of the season, Concordia added another run in its half of the fifth inning to put the score to 9-3 in favor of the home team.

In the top of the sixth inning, Corban plated four runs on five hits with Warner collecting the Warriors' biggest hit via a two-run single. Winsor opened the frame with a single to right field before sophomore Tony Salamone (Medford, Ore.) doubled to center field, which allowed Winsor to move to third. One batter later, Warner brought both base runners home with his run-scoring double before Schmidt brought home Warner with a single to right field. One batter later, freshman Steven Blum (Salem, Ore.) drove in the Warriors' final run of the inning with a single to pull Corban within two runs (9-7).

Following a 1-2-3 inning by Concordia, Corban stepped to the plate for the final time and got a lead off double to right field by Taylor before he advanced to third on a Winsor single. After a Cavalier pitching change, Riddle advanced both runners on base thanks to a sacrifice bunt. With one out, sophomore Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.) brought Taylor home with an infield single to short. With runners on first and second and only one out, Concordia got Warner to ground into a game-ending double play that helped preserve the one-run win (9-8).

Warner, Schmidt, Blum, Riddle, and Hiebert led Corban's bat-attack with two hits each, while four other Warriors – Spicer, Johnston, Taylor, and Salamone – registered a hit each in helping the Warriors collect a game-high 14 hits.

On the mound, senior Derek Stokes (Anchorage, Alaska) went the opening 4.0 innings allowing nine runs (three earned) on seven hits before turning the ball over to freshman Quinn Macnab (The Dalles, Ore.) for the game's final two innings.

Concordia was led by Chris Jamie, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with one RBI. Meanwhile, Brett Hawley went the opening 5.2 innings on the mound for the Cavaliers allowing seven runs (six earned) on 11 hits before turning the ball over to a duo of relievers for the game's final 1.1 innings of work.

With the split, Corban finds itself at 7-14 overall, 5-9 in NAIA West action. Meanwhile, Concordia is now 10-13 overall, 4-9 in NAIA West play. Both teams will return to the field and complete the final leg of a four-game series on Saturday, March 21st, beginning at 12:00 p.m. at Wilsonville High School.