BOX SCORE

STAYTON, Ore. – For the third time this season, Corban's baseball team dropped a close game against NCAA Division III member Pacific University of Oregon falling to the visiting Boxers, 10-5, Tuesday at Joe Brock Park on the campus of Stayton High School.

Senior Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) led the Warriors' offense with a 3-for-4 performance that included two runs scored and one run batted in, while senior Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.), junior Jonathan Ramirez (New Britain, Conn.), and sophomore Kris Bos (Jerome, Idaho) registered two hits each.

Sophomore Jake Balbas (Meridian, Idaho) made his first start of the season for Corban going 2.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on two hits before turning the ball over to a quartet of Warrior relievers that included senior Chris Trammell (Salem, Ore.), senior Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.), junior Quinn Macnab (The Dalles, Ore.), and junior Mike McKay (Almira, Wash.). The four pitchers combined to allow eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits with Winsor recording a team-high four strikeouts.

Pacific would grab a two-run lead (2-0) into the bottom of the third inning when Corban put a pair of runs on the board. Freshman Lance Foster (Snohomish, Wash.) would begin the Warriors' scoring with a RBI single down the right field line before junior Nick Stiltner (Eugene, Ore.) drove home Corban's second run via a double to left field that knotted things at 2-2 through the opening three innings.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Corban would takes its first lead of the game when Taylor plated the Warriors' third run on an infield single that allowed sophomore Matt Hamlin (Hamilton, Mt.) to score from third following his lead off single that made the score 3-2 in favor of the home team.

The visiting Boxers would waste no time in retaking the lead, as Pacific scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning when Logan Moen singled home Travis Koon with a single to left field knotting things at 3-all. The Boxers' Mike Nagamine would then plated the go-ahead run via a sacrifice fly to deep center field that scored Kevin Schwatrz and advanced Moen to third with two outs. During the next at-bat, Moen would come home on a failed pickoff attempt making the score 5-3 in favor of Pacific.

Over the next three innings, the game would turn into a pitcher's dual until Pacific put another run on the board in the top of the eighth inning on a sacrifice fly to center field by Conor Clark that would turn out to be the game-winning run as the score read 6-3 in favor of the Boxers.

In the top of the ninth inning, Pacific would take advantage of poor Warrior pitching en route to scoring four runs on just one hit. Following a lead off ground out, the Boxers took advantage of two hit by pitches and a pair of walks that brought home a run and loaded the bases. Pacific's Michael Arakaki wasted no time in helping take some ducks off the pond when he ripped a double down the left field line that plated two Boxers and pushed their lead to six runs (9-3). Pacific would get its final run of the game via a sacrifice fly to right field by Clark that made the score 10-3 in favor of the visiting team.

Corban would not go quietly into the night, as the Warriors put two runs on the board in the bottom of the ninth when Hiebert and Taylor lead off with back-to-back singles before Foster drove home Corban's fourth run of the afternoon on a ground out. With a runner 90 feet away from scoring, Bos roped a single into center field to plate the Warriors' final run and make the game-ending score read 10-5.

Three Pacific players – Moen, Michael Arakaki, and Anson Arakaki – registered two hits each, while Moen, Nagamine, Michael Arakaki, and Clark drove in two runs each for the victorious Boxers. Four Pacific pitchers – Dan Wolfe, Jayson Fukumoto, Brett Nakasone, and Mike McGuire – would combined to allow five earned runs on 13 Corban hits with Fukumoto picking up his first win of the season in relief.

With today's result, Corban falls to 6-23 overall and Pacific improves to 16-10-1 on the season. The Warriors will be back in action on Friday, April 8th, against The College of Idaho in an afternoon double header beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Warrior Field in Salem.