SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The Corban University baseball team held a lead for the third-straight day on Thursday, but the Warrior bats could not produce enough offense en route to a 5-2 defeat against the Westmont College Warriors.
For Corban (8-7), it is its fourth-straight loss by three runs or less on this California road swing, and all of Corban's losses this year have come by three runs or less.
Neither team scored during the first three frames, but Corban jumped on top in the fourth inning with a pair of runs. Senior designated hitter Marc Gallegos (Astoria, Ore.) led the frame off with a walk, and then senior first baseman Daniel Orr (Kingston, Wash.) singled to center field, advancing Gallegos to second. Gallegos and Orr both advanced on a wild pitch during the next at-bat, and eventually with sophomore third baseman Vince Gonzalez (Kennewick, Wash.) at the plate, both runners scored when Gonzalez ripped an RBI single to left-center.
Westmont (15-5), however, responded with a pair of runs of its own in the bottom half of the frame, and then tacked on three more in the sixth inning via some timely hits, nabbing the 5-2 advantage.
From that point on, the Navy and Gold did not threaten offensively over the final three frames, resulting in the three-run defeat.
Orr and sophomore shortstop Ryan Rosas (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) both led the way with two hits at the dish, while Gonzalez notched the only RBI of the day for the Warriors.
On the bump, junior pitcher Nic Coffman (Portland, Ore.) got the start for the Navy and Gold, and in his first-ever start for Corban, he threw five innings while surrendering two hits and two runs, striking out four batters along the way. Sophomore pitcher Daniel Aranda (Lebanon, Ore.) picked up the loss for the Warriors, throwing 0.2 innings while allowing two hits and three runs in that fateful sixth frame.
Junior pitchers Adam Shumka (White Rock, B.C.) and Daniel Gober (Huntington Beach, Calif.) both provided solid performances out of the bullpen for Corban, with Shumka pitching 1.1 innings while allowing no hits and no runs, and Gober threw one inning while allowing just one hit and no runs.
For Westmont, Lance Simpson earned the win, throwing two innings while giving up just one hit and no runs in relief.
As a team, Corban outhit Westmont, 8-5, but Westmont registered the timely hits when they needed them, whereas Corban was unable to do just that. For the game, Corban left seven runners on base.
"It was another game where we hit a lot of balls hard, but did not find holes," said head coach Jeff McKay. "Nic Coffman was impressive in his first Warrior start on the mound. It is tough to be a two-way player at this level, but he has a lot of ability to help both ways. We have a much needed day off tomorrow. We will be ready to end the week with some wins."
Corban takes a break from action tomorrow before returning to the field on Saturday for a doubleheader with Bethesda University (Calif.). First pitch for Saturday's doubleheader is set for 11 a.m.
