BOX SCORE 1 | BOX SCORE 2

KEIZER, Ore. – On the opening day of NAIA West play, Corban's baseball team came away with a pair of hard-fought losses to the NAIA's No. 8-ranked Lewis-Clark State, 10-6, & 8-1, Friday at Volcanoes Stadium.

Corban (9-5, 0-2 NAIA West) was led offensively by sophomore Marc Gallegos with a combined three hits, while three other Warriors – senior Andy Hill, senior Derek Legg, and junior Nate Williams – each collected a pair of hits with freshman Steven Kha and junior Lance Foster registering two runs batted in each.

On the mound for the Warriors, senior Jamie McCaffrey got the start in the opener allowing five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 5.1 innings of work before three relievers – senior Caleb Virtue, senior David Hull, and freshman Adam Shumka – combined to allow five runs (four earned) on seven hits in 3.2 innings of work. In the finale, junior Justin White went the opening four innings allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits before sophomore Andy Thiessen worked four innings allowing two runs (one earned) and Hull got the final three outs.

Lewis-Clark State (12-3, 2-0 NAIA West) got combvined four-hit performances from Brady Steiger, Cody Lavalli, and Eric Peterson, while Anthony Armanino allowed two earned runs on three hits in the opener to pick up the win and Sal Arena went the final 1.1 innings to pick up his third save of the season. In Game #2, Carsen Nylund allowing one earned run on six hits in 7.1 innings of work before Colton Wright got the game's final five outs in relief.

GAME #1 – LEWIS-CLARK STATE 10, CORBAN 6

The opener would be a pitching dual over the opening five innings until Lewis-Clark State blew open the game with five runs in the top of the sixth inning thanks to a one-out double to left field by Lavalli, a bases loaded walk by Kyle Blackwell, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Bobby Joe Tannehill, a single through the right side by Zach Holley, and a throwing error by Corban that allowed Blackwell to score to put the visiting Warriors ahead by five runs (5-0).

L-C State would add three more runs in the top of the seventh inning when Steiger ripped a two-run double to center field that scored Ryan Sells and Kyle Knigge before Peterson ripped a run-scoring single to center field that plated Steiger and put the visiting ahead by eight runs (8-0).

Corban would come back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning when Kha roped a RBI double to left field that scored Williams following his one-out double to center field. The very next batter – Foster – lifted a sacrifice fly into right field that scored senior Matt Hamlin following his walk after Williams' double to pull Corban within six runs (8-2).

After a scoreless top of the eighth inning, Corban three more runs when three straight Warriors drew free passes with the bases loaded on back-to-back hit by pitches and a walk that brought the host Warriors within three runs (8-5).

Lewis-Clark State would put two more runs on the board in the top of the ninth inning when Sells led off with his third home run of the season over the left field fence before Steiger scored on a throwing error by Corban following a wild pitch to put LCSC ahead by five runs (10-5).

Corban would get one run back in its final at-bat, as junior Gregg Romero scored despite a bases loaded double play for the final tally of 10-6.

Legg would lead the Warriors' bat-attack with a 2-for-4 performance, while four other Warriors – Williams, Kha, Hill, and Romero – each collected a hit in the opener.

Lewis-Clark State's offense was led by Steiger and Lavalli with three hits each, while Knigge, Sells, and Peterson had two hits each in the victory.

GAME #2 – LEWIS-CLARK 8, CORBAN 1

In the finale, Lewis-Clark State would get a phenomenal pitching performance by Nylund as the nationally-ranked Warriors scored in four straight innings with LCSC getting three runs in the second and fifth innings.

Lewis-Clark State would begin the scoring in the top of the second inning when Bobby Corliss drove home Lavalli on a single to right center before Holley drove in a pair of Warriors with a two-run single to center field making the score 3-0 in favor of the visiting Warriors.

In the top of the third inning, Lavalli would lift a sacrifice fly into left field that scored Tariq Staton to put LCSC ahead by four runs (4-0).

One inning later, Lewis-Clark State would add another run on a RBI single to right field by Lavalli that scored Sells and put the visiting Warriors in front by five runs (5-0).

In the top of the fifth inning, Lewis-Clark State would cap its scoring with three more runs off run-scoring hits by Lavalli and Peterson to go along with another error by Corban to put the ranked Warriors ahead by the score of 8-0.

Corban would put its only run of the game on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning when Gallegos singled down the right field line to bring home Williams following his lead off single to center field, as the host Warriors settled for the final margin of 8-1.

Gallegos would lead Corban's offense with a 3-for-4 performance, while junior Peter Martin, Williams, Hill, and senior Kyle Kunkel each collected a hit in the finale.

Lewis-Clark State would get two-hit performances from Peterson, Corliss, and Holley, while six other Warriors collected a hit en route to LCSC earning the two-game sweep.

Both teams will close out this weekend's four-game series tomorrow – Saturday, March 2nd – with a mid-morning double header that begins at 11:00 a.m. at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer.