BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – In its first game on Warrior Field in over 11 months, Corban's baseball team capitalized on five Boxer errors in a 7-4 non-conference win over NCAA Division III member Pacific University of Oregon Wednesday.

Corban (18-12) was led by a trio of Warriors – junior William Koenig, sophomore Jordan Johansen, and freshman Landon Frost – with two hits each, while  Johansen drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Sophomore Andy Thiessen would get the start on the mound for Corban allowing two bases runners in 3.0 innings of work to go along with a pair of strikeouts. A trio of Warrior relievers – junior Justin White, freshman Adam Shumka, and senior Caleb Virtue – would combine to allow four earned runs on four hits in 6.0 innings of work, as Virtue earned his second win of the season with a five-inning performance.

Pacific (7-14) was led offensively by Ben Duerr with two hits, while Duerr, Donnie Bradley, and Kevin Bettencourt registered RBIs for the Boxers. Seven Pacific pitchers would combined to allow seven runs (four earned) on 10 hits, as Nathan Suyematsu allowed the game-winning run in the seventh inning en route to suffering his first loss of the season.

After a scoreless first inning by both teams, Corban would put three runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Pacific committed four errors allowing all three Warrior runs to score unearned. Junior Peter Martin would lead off the inning with a single through the right side before stealing second and coming home on the Boxers' first error of the inning. Koenig would bring home Corban's second run on the sacrifice fly to center field that allowed freshman Steven Kha to score after he reached base on Pacific's first miscue of the game. Frost would then step to the plate and recorded an infield single before moving to second on another Boxer error. A throwing error by Pacific on Frost's steal of third would allow the first-year Warrior to come home and put the host team ahead by three runs (3-0).

Pacific would battle back to tie the game in the top of the third inning, as Bradley drew a bases loaded walk followed by Bettencourt's free pass with the bases juiced to bring the Boxers within a single run (3-2). Two batters later, Duerr would register Pacific's first hit of the afternoon via a single to center field that scored Nick Tasaka to tie the game at 3-3.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Corban would retake the lead (4-3) when junior Gregg Romero reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded allowing Kha to score from third.

Pacific would tie the game for the second time at 4-4 in the top of the seventh inning when Austin Gallagher double to right center to score Walker Olis following his two-out infield single and steal of second base.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Corban loaded the bases on a double by Romero, a walk by senior Jeremiah Forrister, and an infield bunt single by sophomore Jake Kunkel. Johansen would step to the plate and lifted the third pitch that he saw into center field allowing Romero to come home with the eventual game-winning run, as the Warriors earned a one-run lead (5-4).

One inning later, Corban added two more runs to the scoreboard thanks to a perfectly executed double steal involving Kha and Koenig after Kha walked to leadoff the inning. Two batters later, the Warriors loaded the bases for Kunkel who roped a line drive to center field that was caught and allowed Koenig to score from third for the game's final run as Corban pushed its lead to three runs (7-4).

Despite a one-out single through the left side by Duerr in the top of the ninth inning, Corban's defense would step up to the challenge getting back-to-back outs to secure its second straight win over Pacific in the past seven days.

Corban will return to the diamond on Friday, March 29th, against NAIA West member Concordia in an afternooon double header beginning at 12:00 p.m. on Warrior Field in Salem.