BOX SCORE

PORTLAND, Ore. – Despite a 4-for-5 performance with three runs batted in by senior Cody Atkinson, Corban's baseball team dropped the opening game of the NAIA West Tournament to the Cavaliers of Concordia, 16-6, Wednesday at Hilken Community Stadium.

With today's result, Corban falls to 28-22 overall and Concordia improves to 24-26 on the season.

Along with Atkinson's performance, sophomore Gregg Romero was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and senior Steven Blum and sophomore Lance Foster registered two hits each for the Warriors. Junior starter Jacob Kopra went the opening 3.1 innings allowing 10 runs (six earned) on nine hits before senior Anthony Wirkkala and junior Caleb Virtue combined to pitch the final 5.2 innings allowing six earned runs on 12 hits.

Both Corban and Concordia combined to score a stadium-record 22 runs, while the two squads combined for a stadium-record 36 hits bettering the previous record of 32 set on February 11th in a game between Concordia and George Fox.

Concordia would begin the scoring in the top of the first inning, as the designated visiting Cavaliers got a leadoff walk by Sheldon Austria before he came around to score on a RBI single to right center by Cole Shidaki two batters later after a Warrior error extended the at-bat.

Corban would answer back in the bottom of the first inning when Romero doubled down the left field line before coming home one batter later on Atkinson's run-scoring infield single that tied the game at 1-1.

Neither team would score in the second inning, as Concordia exploded for five runs in the top of the third inning on four hits that included RBIs by five different Cavaliers that included a pair of infield scoring hits that resulted in a 6-1 CU lead.

The designated home Warriors added another run in the bottom of the third inning when Romero singled to center before stealing second and coming home on a RBI single down the right field line by Atkinson making the score 6-2 in favor of Concordia.

In the top of the fourth inning, Concordia would put four more runs on the board that started with a two-run double down the left field line by Mike Cero before ending on a run-scoring single to right field by Carl Beckert that put the Cavaliers up by eight runs (10-2).

Concordia would put four more runs on the board over its next three at-bats highlighted by a RBI triple by Jordan Keeker and Shidaki's four RBI of the afternoon that pushed the Cavaliers' lead to double digits (14-2).

Corban would answer with four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, as freshman Marc Gallegos ripped a one-out triple down the right field line before coming home on a Romero single up the middle. One batter later, Atkinson drove in Romero with a single to left center before Blum singled through the left side to bring home senior Colby Sokol. Freshman Tyler Atkinson would then lift a sacrifice fly to right field that scored the elder Atkinson for the Warriors' final run of the game making the score 14-6.

After a pitching change by Corban in the top of the eighth inning, Concordia put the game's final two runs on the board thanks to a RBI single to right center by Blake Drake and a sacrifice fly to center field by Austria for the Cavaliers' 16th and final run.

Concordia's offense was led by Shidaki with a 5-for-6 performance that included two runs scored and four RBI, while starter Larsen Kohler went the distance allowing six runs (four earned) on 14 hits with a game-high tying four strikeouts.

The Warriors now move into the loser's bracket of this week's double-elimination tournament against the University of British Columbia tomorrow – Thursday, May 3rd – beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the Rose City. Meanwhile, Concordia will take on the tournament's No. 1-seed The College of Idaho later tonight – May 2nd – at 6:00 p.m. with the winner moving onto play Menlo at noon tomorrow.