BOX SCORE

PASCO, Wash. – Trailing by three runs heading into the seventh inning, Corban's baseball team scored five runs in the last three innings that included a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning in an 8-7 victory over Willamette to close out the Swing Into Spring College Baseball Classic Monday at Gesa Stadium.

Corban (7-0) was led offensively by sophomore Jordan Johansen with a 2-for-4 performance that included a run scored, while junior Nate Williams drove in a pair of runs that included the game-winning RBI that helped the Warriors come away from the Tri-Cities with five wins over the weekend.

On the mound for Corban, freshman Daniel Gober got the start allowing two earned runs on three hits in 3.2 innings of work before a trio of relievers – freshman Adam Shumka, freshman Ransom Storm, and senior David Hull – combined to pitch the final 5.1 innings allowing a combined five earned runs on nine hits. Hull would pick up the victory with a near perfect 2.1 innings of relief.

For Willamette (3-3), Tyson Giza was 4-for-5 at the plate and Tosh Semlacher drove in a pair of runs for the Bearcats. Brandon Simon went the opening 7.0 innings for Willamette allowing five runs (four earned) on six hits before Zach Holcomb and Parker Johnson combined to pitch the final 2.2 innings allowing three earned runs on two hits. Johnson would suffer the heart-breaking loss, as he allowed Corban to score the game-winning run with two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Willamette would strike first with solo runs in the top of the second and fourth innings when Brad Breier lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that allowed Hunter Gallant to score before Gallant scored two innings later on a wild pitch for a 2-0 Bearcat lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Corban would put three runs on the board on a RBI double to left field by junior Lance Foster that scored Johansen following his lead off double to right center. One batter later, Williams ripped a run-scoring double down the left field line to score Foster and tied the game at 2-2. Junior Marc Labarthe would then single down the right field line to score Williams, as Corban earned a one-run lead (3-2).

Willamette wasted no time in retaking the lead, as the Bearcats plated three runs in the top of the fifth inning on a two-run double to right center by Semlacher before Sky Kelley lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Semlacher resulting in a 5-3 lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, Willamette added another run on sacrifice fly to center field by Tommy Kawamura that scored Corbin Bennett to put the Bearcats ahead by three runs (6-3).

Corban would get two runs back in the bottom of the seventh inning when junior Gregg Romero drew a two-out walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Sophomore Marc Gallegos would bring home Romero on a single through the left side before Johansen registered an infield single that allowed Gallegos to score pulling Corban within a single run (6-5).

In the top of the eighth inning, Willamette would plate its final run of the game on a RBI single to center field by Giza that scored Breier and put the Bearcats ahead by the score of 7-5.

Corban would tie the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when freshman Steven Kha reached on a fielding error by Willamette that allowed senior pinch-runner Kyle Kunkel to score from third. Senior Alex Bost would step to the plate next as a pinch hitter and lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed junior Peter Martin to score the game-tying run making the score 7-7.

In the top of the ninth inning, Willamette had a chance to score the go-ahead run when the Bearcats loaded the bases with one out only to have Corban's defense execute a perfectly-timed, inning-ending double play to keep the game scoreless.

After a 1-2-3 inning for Corban in the bottom of the ninth, Willamette put the go-ahead run ninety feet away with one out in the top of the 10th inning only to have the Warrior defense get back-to-back ground outs to keep the game deadlocked.

In the bottom of the 10th inning, senior Matt Hamlin led off with a single to left field and advanced to second on a ground out by Martin. Hamlin would move to third on a wild pitch before Williams lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that allowed Hamlin to come home with the game-winning run, as Corban remained unbeaten on the season.

Corban will return to action on Thursday, February 21st, in the opening game of the CCC-NWC Challenge against NCAA Division III member George Fox beginning at 2:00 p.m. in Newberg.