BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2

MEDFORD, Ore. – Despite a thrilling comeback attempt in the finale, Corban's baseball team fell short against fellow Cascade Collegiate Conference member Oregon Tech, 8-0 & 2-1, in Friday's non-conference games at Harry & David Field.

In the second-ever series between Corban and Oregon Tech played in Medford, four different Warriors – junior Steven Blum (Salem, Ore.), sophomore Kris Bos (Jerome, Idaho), sophomore Kyle Kunkel (Bremerton, Wash.), and freshman Sage Poland (Spokane, Wash.) – accounted for all the team's hits in the mid-afternoon twin bill.

GAME #1 – OREGON TECH 8, CORBAN 0

In a game that began as a pitcher's dual, neither team would light up the score board until the top of the sixth inning when the designated visiting team, Oregon Tech, put seven runs on the board with the highlight coming via Colin Stock's bat. With two outs in the inning, Stock unleashed his team-leading third home run of the season – a grand slam over the right field wall – that capped the scoring and put the Owls up 7-0.

Oregon Tech would close out the game's scoring with a single run in the top of the eighth inning when Phil Sacks roped a run-scoring hit through the left side for the final run, as the Owls cruised to an 8-0 victory.

Corban would register only one hit in the opener via a first inning single up the middle by Bos, while five Warrior pitchers – junior Nick Stiltner (Eugene, Ore.), senior Chris Trammell (Salem, Ore.), junior Mike McKay (Almira, Wash.), junior Quinn Macnab (The Dalles, Ore.), and senior Kyle Lamson (Medford, Ore.) – combined to allow eight earned runs on 12 hits with eight strikeouts.

Oregon Tech would get two hits each from Trent Smith, Stock, and Wade Elliot, while Matt Bellando and Mike Mastroianni combined on the one-hitter with Bellando striking out a game-high eight Warriors.

GAME #2 – OREGON TECH 2, CORBAN 1

The finale would also be a pitcher's dual over the opening three innings until Oregon Tech pushed a single run across the plate in the top of the fourth via a Zach Earle double that would hand the Hustlin' Owls an early 1-0 lead.

Neither team would score again until the top of the eighth inning when Oregon Tech added an insurance run on a run-scoring single to right field by Ryan Hayden that pushed the Owls' lead to two runs (2-0).

In its last at-bat, Corban would load the bases with one out before sophomore pinch-hitter Jake Balbas (Meridian, Idaho) drove home the Warriors' first run of the afternoon via a fielder's choice RBI that scored junior Matt Hamlin (Hamilton, Mt.) and cut the deficit to a single run (2-1). Following a Balbas steal, Corban had the tying and potential winning run on second and third with two outs. Unfortunately, Oregon Tech reliever Aaron Jorgensen would get the Warriors' final hitter via a strikeout swinging to end the game and help preserve the Owls' sweep of today's double header.

Poland, Blum, and Kunkel would each record hits for Corban, while sophomore Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.) made his first appearance of the season pitching 3.0 innings and giving up only one hit in the process. Junior Colby Sokol (Puyallup, Wash.) and senior Tyler Doornink (Yakima, Wash.) would each pitch three innings for the Warriors, as the duo combined to give up two earned runs on six hits.

Oregon Tech's offense would come via two-hit performances by Smith, Hayden, and Earle, while Taylor Bars went the opening 7.0 innings allowing three hits with a game-high four strikeouts before Jorgensen closed out the game for the Hustlin' Owls despite allowing an unearned run for his second save of the season.

Both teams will return to Harry & David Field tomorrow – Saturday, March 12th – to close out the weekend series with a pair of games beginning at noon.