BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – In a "home game" played at John Lewis Field on the campus of Willamette University, Corban's baseball team overcame an early seven-run deficit and put together a season-high 19 hits but neither were enough as the Warriors fell to the cross town rival Bearcats, 15-13, Tuesday afternoon.

With today's result, Corban falls to 10-29 overall compared to Willamette's 2010 record of 10-18.

Junior Luke Balbas (Boise, Idaho) led all players with a 4-for-5 performance that included four singles and one run batted in, while fellow junior Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.) and sophomore Jonathan Ramirez (New Britain, Conn.) each registered three hits on the afternoon. During Corban's eight-run third innings, junior Tyler Lake (Medford, Ore.) connected on his second home run of the season via a grand slam before fellow junior Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.) belted his first home run of the season thanks to an opposite field three-run blast.

Willamette would get on the board first with seven unanswered runs over its opening three at-bats that included a pair of home runs by Mitchell Rowan in consecutive at-bats, while Sky Kelley belted his first of two home runs on the afternoon to lead off the second inning.

Corban would come back in the bottom of the third inning when Hiebert led off with an infield single before senior Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) reached base via a bunt single to third. Ramirez would load the bases with a single to right field before Lake blasted his second home run of the season at John Lewis Field to pull the host Warriors within three runs (7-4). Two batters later, Winsor registered Corban's third infield single of the inning before freshman Jake Balbas (Meridian, Idaho) extended the inning on the game's lone error. The elder Balbas would then pull the Warriors within two runs (7-5) thanks to a single down the left field line before Hiebert gave Corban a one-run lead (8-7) in his second at-bat of the inning via his first home run since the Warriors' home opener last season against The College of Idaho.

The visiting Bearcats would get two runs back in the top of the fourth inning thanks to run-scoring hits by Rowan and Derek Collins. Rowan would bring home Doug Bloom on a RBI double down the right field line before Collins brought Rowan around to score on a single down the right field line for a one-run Bearcat lead (9-8).

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Corban would knot things at 9-9 on a Winsor RBI single up the middle that scored sophomore Steven Blum (Salem, Ore.) following his lead off double to right center.

Corban would tack on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning when Blum roped a two-run double over the Bearcats' leaping center fielder that scored Ramirez and freshman Craig Baker (Meridian, Idaho) following a double steal. Winsor would then register his second RBI of the afternoon on a run-scoring single to right center that scored Blum and made the score 12-9 in favor of the host Warriors.

Willamette would put six runs on the board in the top of the eighth inning that included an eventual game-winning three-run home run by Kelley over the left field fence that handed the visiting Bearcats a three-run lead (15-12). Prior to Kelley's second home run of the afternoon, Tyson Giza would registered a one-run single to center field before Collins pulled Willamette even on the score board thanks to a two-run double to left center that scored Eli Kass and Giza to make the score 12-12.

Corban would get one run back in the bottom of the eighth inning when Baker brought home Ramirez with a single up the middle that pulled the host Warriors within two runs (15-13).

Neither team would score again, as Willamette's Brandon Simon picked up his second win of the season in relief to go along with Parker Johnson's second save this year. Corban would send three pitchers to the mound, as sophomore Mike McKay (Almira, Wash.) went the opening 2.0 innings allowing six earned runs on three hits before turning the ball over to fellow sophomore Quinn Macnab (The Dalles, Ore.) for the next five innings. Freshman David Hull (Kelso, Wash.) would close out the game for the Warriors, as he allowed three earned runs on two hits en route to suffering his first loss of the season in heart-breaking fashion.

Willamette was led offensively by Rowan's perfect 3-for-3 performance that included two runs scored and a game-high five runs batted in. Collins and Kelley would combine for five hits and nine RBI, while Giza and Michael Oliver each registered two hits in the game.

Corban will return to the field tomorrow – Wednesday, April 14th – against NCAA Division III member George Fox beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Warrior Field.