BOX SCORE

McMINNVILLE, Ore. – In the first game of the Jim Doran Auto Classic, Corban's baseball team squared off against classic-host and NCAA Division III member Linfield. Despite a 4-for-5 performance by junior Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.), the Warriors fell victim to the Wildcats, 11-6, Thursday night at Roy Helser Field.

With today's loss after a ten-day lay off, Corban evens its record at 4-4 while Linfield improves to 6-3 overall.

Corban freshman right-hander Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.) got off to a rocky start on the hill giving up an early run off Cole Bixenman's sac-fly that scored Tyson Smith. Linfield's offense started with Smith's single to left followed by a stolen base before being advanced to third by Dustin Smith.

Down 1-0 in the visitor's half of the second, Warrior sophomore Jonathan Ramirez (New Britain, Conn.) sent a towering fly-ball to the warning track that fell short of the wall for a double. Taylor then stepped to the plate and dropped a bloop single into right prompting Ramirez to turn for home. Bixenman came up throwing and beat Ramirez to the plate ending Corban's scoring opportunity.

Linfield added runs in successive innings, seeing Mitch Webb's single score Zach Boskovich. Webb would touch home two batters later off Lyan Larson's line drive that struck Ramirez opening a hole in the Warrior defense. Kelon Brown's single plated Larson opening up a three-run Linfield lead after two innings.

In the top of the third, Corban sent junior pinch-hitter Taylor Wyatt (Dallas, Ore.) to the dish who drew a walk but back-to-back outs ended the Warriors' threat.

Kopra's problems continued into the home half of the third when his first pitch of the inning was deposited over the center field fence by Wildcat Rhett Fenton, upping Linfield's lead to 5-0.

Linfield starter Evan Hilberg retired the first three Warriors he faced in the top of the third to continue his shutout, as the Wildcats' offense continued to find ways to plate base runners. Kelson Brown's one-out, sacrifice single brought Smith around the base paths for the second time extending the home team's lead to 7-0.

In the fifth, Corban brought junior reliever Chris Trammell (Salem, Ore.) to hill after Kopra allowed seven earned runs over four innings of work. Trammell retired the first two Wildcats he faced until Smith recorded his third hit of the afternoon scoring Mitch Webb to bolster Linfield's lead to a commanding, 8-0.

Corban's offense finally showed signs of life in the 6th when junior Steven Candelaria (Farmington, N.M.) drew a walk. The next batter – sophomore Steven Blum (Salem, Ore.) – singled to left advancing Candelaria before Ramirez drew the second walk of the inning to load the bases setting up Taylor with a game-changing at-bat. Taylor drove Hilberg's pitch down the right field line scoring the trio of runners already on base, cutting the lead to 8-3. Freshman Craig Baker (Meridian, Idaho) stepped to the dish and drove the ball to deep right bringing Taylor home to score closing the gap to 8-4.

In the seventh, Linfield committed two errors allowing Winsor and Blum to get on the base paths. With runners at the corners, Wildcat reliever Spencer Crepeaux fanned a pair of Warrior hitters in successive at-bats to end the inning.

Leading off the side, Wildcat Zach Boskovich drove Trammell's first pitch over the right field fence widening the lead to five runs (9-4).

Taylor led off the Warrior half of the eighth with his fourth hit on the day to remain perfect at the plate. Candelaria the drew a walk off Crepeaux, prompting a pitching change with runners at first and third. After Wyatt flied out , freshman catcher Marc Labarthe (Salem, Ore.) lined to right loading the bases. Warner then drew a walk with the bases loaded to score Taylor and inching Corban back into the game, 9-5. Winsor, seeking his second hit of the afternoon, plated Baker on a sacrifice fly to center, moving Corban into a rally situation, 9-6. Unfortunately, a Warrior strike out ended the inning and closed out Corban's comeback chance.

In the eighth, Trammell gave up an opening double to Bixenman. After a wild pitch and a passed ball, pinch runner Gunnar Cederberg touched home and moved Linfield into double digits on the scoreboard. A batter later, Boskovich's sacrifice fly brought Fenton around to score putting the game out of reach, 11-6, and concluded the evening's scoring.

Linfield was led offensively by Smith, who went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and four stolen bases. Hilberg would pick up the win for the Wildcats allowing four earned runs over 5.1 innings before turning the ball over to a duo of relievers.

Corban will return to the diamond on Friday, February 26th, at 1:30 p.m. against the University of Puget Sound in the third game of the Jim Doran Auto Classic at Roy Helser Field in McMinnville.