WILSONVILLE, Ore. - After dropping five of its last six games to George Fox University, the Corban University baseball team was due for a little revenge. The Warriors got just that on Thursday evening, as the Navy and Gold used a gritty effort to outlast the Bruins, 9-8, in Wilsonville, Ore. as a part of the Concordia Tournament. With the triumph, Corban improved its winning streak to three games during the 2015 campaign.

 The Warriors (4-1) jumped on the Bruins early, as Corban dialed in a trio of runs in the first inning. Senior left-fielder Marc Gallegos (Astoria, Ore.) picked up right where he left off against Lewis & Clark College, as he doubled to right center on his first at-bat. After senior designated-hitter Daniel Orr (Kingston, Wash.) singled to left center, a sacrifice fly by junior outfielder Hayden Calvert (Canberra, Australia) brought home Gallegos to put Corban on the board.

 On the ensuing at-bat, Corban showed off some of its offensive firepower, as senior first baseman Peter Martin (Toledo, Wash.) smashed his first-career home run to bring home Orr and give the Navy and Gold an early 3-0 lead. 

In the top of the second inning, senior second baseman Ben Straka (Eugene, Ore.) singled to second base to keep Corban's offense flowing. After Straka stole second base, sophomore infielder Ryan Rosas (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) singled to left center to score Straka and notch his second RBI of the 2015 campaign.

 Although the Warriors went hitless in next two innings, the team didn't have to worry, as senior left-handed pitcher Austin Guzzon (Oceanside, Calif.) took care of business on the mound. In the first five innings, he held the Bruins scoreless while surrendering just two hits and compiling five strikeouts.

 In the top of the fifth inning, Corban's offense continued to roll, as Gallegos recorded his first homer of the season to bring home senior right-fielder Jordan Johansen (Black Diamond, Wash.) and give the Warriors a commanding 6-0 lead. 

After both Calvert and Martin got on base thanks to a pair of infield errors by the Bruins, sophomore right-fielder Vince Gonzalez (Kennewick, Wash.) reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second base, while Calvert came home to give Corban a 7-0 lead. Moments later, sophomore catcher Jackson Smith (Salem, Ore.) singled to bring home Martin, and then Johansen hit a sacrifice fly right field to score Gonzalez and cap the scoring in the inning. 

Although George Fox (2-3) eventually tallied a run in the bottom of the sixth, Guzzon finished the evening with seven strikeouts and allowed just three hits in six innings pitched en route to his first victory of his final campaign in a Navy and Gold uniform. 

Freshman pitcher Caleb Henry (Salem, Ore.) came in to relieve Guzzon, and the youngster continued to make his mark at the collegiate level, as he allowed one hit and one run while striking out a pair of Bruins in two innings of action.

With a 9-2 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning, it looked as if Corban was just three outs away from a blowout victory, but that's when the bats got hot for George Fox. After the Bruins put three runs on the board against junior hurler Ryan Wood (Meridian, Idaho) to cut the Warriors' lead to four (9-5), two more George Fox players reached base on walks with two outs.

 After sophomore left-handed pitcher Daniel Aranda (Lebanon, Ore.) replaced Wood on the mound, George Fox kept Corban on its heels. With the bases loaded, a triple by sophomore infielder Ryan McKean dialed in three runs for the Bruins to slice the Navy and Gold's lead to one (9-8). 

Corban then turned to its third pitcher of the ninth inning, as junior right-handed pitcher Adam Shumka (White Rock, B.C.) came in to relieve Aranda. Eventually, with the bases juiced on a 3-2 count, Shumka struck out sophomore outfielder Brandon Wileman to secure Corban the victory in the nail-biting finish. Shumka registered his first-career save on the mound. 

 Martin finished the contest 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Gallegos continued his torrid hitting effort to go 2-for-5 and notch a pair of RBI. Two other Warriors went 2-for-5 at the dish, as Orr and Rosas were able to compile a couple of hits each.

Corban continues its stride in the Concordia Tournament tomorrow against Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. at 3:30 p.m. Be sure to follow the action via live stats and live audio during the game!

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