BOX SCORE

SALEM, Ore. – With less than 10 minutes remaining of daylight, senior Kyle Kunkel ripped a single up the middle to drive in the game-winning run in Corban's victory over cross town rival Willamette, 8-7 in 11 innings, Tuesday on Warrior Field.

Corban (23-17) was led offensively by Kunkel with a 4-for-6 performance that included his first home run of the season, while six other Warriors – senior Derek Legg, junior Peter Martin, junior Gregg Romero, sophomore Jordan Johansen, freshman Lathan Alger, and freshman Landon Frost – all registered two hits on the afternoon.

Junior Justin White would get the start for Corban allowing four earned runs on one hit before being pulled after facing just five batters to start the game. Sophomore Andy Thiessen would pitch the next 2.0 innings allowing one earned run on two hits before a trio of relievers – freshman Ransom Storm, freshman Adam Shumka, and Johansen – combined to all just two runs (one earned) on six hits over the final 9.0 innings. Johansen would pick up his second win of the season, as the sophomore right-hander allowed just three hits in 4.0 innings of work.

Willamette (11-18) got a three-hit performance from Brandon Chinn, while Hunter Gallant and Tosh Semlacher tallied two hits each for the visiting Bearcats.

Travis Wilson would get the start for Willamette allowing three earned runs on eight hits with a game-high three strikeouts before a trio of Bearcat relievers – Garrett Davis, Henry Harrison, and Shea Harrison – combined to pitch the game's final 7.0 innings. Shea Harrison would suffer his first loss of the season, as he allowed one earned run on three hits in 2.0 innings of relief.

Willamette would open the game by scoring four runs in the top of the first inning, as the Bearcats got a one-run double off the bat of Gallant before Ben Petersen drew a bases loaded walk followed by a RBI single up the middle by Chinn and a bases loaded hit by pitch by Matt Hirsch that handed the visiting team a 4-0 lead after their first at-bat.

The Bearcats would push their lead to five runs (5-0) in the top of the second inning when Semlacher singled to left field to drive home Tyson Giza after he opening the inning with a walk.

In the bottom of the second inning, Kunkel would leadoff with a solo home run over the left field wall that pulled Corban within four runs (5-1). Kunkel's blast was the first by a Corban player on Warrior Field in almost three full seasons, as the last Warrior to hit a home run on the home field was former Warrior Steven Blum against George Fox on April 14, 2010.

Corban would pull within two runs (5-3) in the bottom of the third inning when Martin doubled to left field to drive in Johansen before Kunkel singled to center field allowing Legg to score.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Corban would pull within a single run (5-4) thanks to a sacrifice fly to left field by Johansen that allowed Frost to score after held led off the inning with a walk.

Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Willamette in the fifth and sixth innings would give the visiting Bearcats a three-run lead (7-4).

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Corban would conclude its comeback by scoring three runs on four hits with Frost driving in Alger on a run-scoring single to left field before junior William Koenig came home on a double play that pulled the Warriors within a single run. Senior Jeremiah Forrister stepped to the plate next and ripped a game-tying double to center field to score Frost and knotted the game at 7-7.

Neither team would score again until the bottom of the 11th inning when Martin led off with a bloop double down the left field line before advancing to third on a wild pitch. With the night skies approaching quickly and a drawn in Willamette infield, Kunkel ripped a 2-2 pitch back through the box that eluded a diving Bearcat shortstop and drove in the game-winning run that helped the Warriors win the season series thanks to an 8-7 come-from-behind victory.

Corban will return to the diamond on Friday, April 12th, against the Thunderbirds of British Columbia in an afternoon double header beginning at 12:00 p.m. in Vancouver, British Columbia.