SALEM, Ore. - A rainy afternoon at Warrior Field on Friday certainly didn't lack drama, as the Corban University baseball team erased a three-game NAIA-West losing streak with a doubleheader sweep over Simpson University to improve to 9-1 against the Red Hawks since 2013. After winning game one in ten innings in walk-off fashion, 3-1, the Navy and Gold muscled past Simpson in game two with a 5-3 triumph.
Corban 3, Simpson 1 - Game One
Although game one lasted nearly five hours due to rain delays, it didn't lack excitement, as Corban escaped Simpson with a 3-1 victory in ten innings thanks to a walk-off two-run homerun from junior right-fielder Nic Coffman (Portland, Ore.).
Coffman finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBI to pave the way for the Warriors, while senior center-fielder Marc Gallegos (Astoria, Ore.) batted 3-for-5 with one RBI, including a solo homer in the bottom of the first to put Corban on the board. Meanwhile, senior first baseman Daniel Orr (Kingston, Wash.) swung a 2-for-4 effort at the dish for the Navy and Gold.
Sophomore righty Dallas Broge (Huntington Beach, Calif.), who came on in the top of the 10th frame, collected his second victory for Corban after holding Simpson hitless in the inning to setup the walk-off situation for Coffman. In seven innings of action, senior hurler Austin Guzzon (Oceanside, Calif.) was masterful on the mound, as he compiled a season-high 10 strikeouts and held Simpson to just three hits.
After Red Hawk sophomore pitcher Robert Bristol notched two quick outs in the bottom of the first, Gallegos put the righty on his heels, as he belted a solo home run to left field to give the Warriors an early 1-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Guzzon put his best foot forward to keep Simpson in check, as the senior held the Red Hawks hitless in the first three frames, recording four strikeouts in the process.
Gallegos struck again in the bottom of the fourth with a leadoff double to get things going for the Navy and Gold. After Orr drew a walk to put two runners on, Simpson proceeded to pick off Gallegos at third and force a pair of flyouts to escape the jam.
Corban had another chance to extend its lead in the bottom of the sixth, as the Warriors loaded the bases with just one out thanks to an error, walk, and a single by Orr. Just a couple of base hits from taking control of the ball game, Bristol snuck away from yet another jam, forcing a pop out and a lineout to keep the Red Hawks within reach.
In the top of the seventh inning, junior left-fielder Dylan Mumford mustered a leadoff single to center field to tally Simpson's second hit of the game. Mumford eventually scooted his way to third via two wild pitches, and then senior shortstop Daniel Mills delivered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 1-1.
Senior pitcher Jordan Johansen (Black Diamond, Was.) replaced Guzzon on the mound in the top of the eighth and confined the Red Hawks to only one hit in the eighth and ninth frames to put Corban in position for a victory. In the bottom of the ninth, junior pinch hitter Hayden Calvert (Canberra, Australia) ripped a leadoff single, and then senior pinch-hitter Ben Straka (Eugene, Ore.) followed with a sacrifice bunt to put Calvert into scoring position. However, the Warriors' next two batters would flyout and groundout to send the game into extra innings.
Following a 10th inning rain delay that lasted nearly two hours, Gallegos continued his clutch hitting with a one-out single to left field. After a Corban flyout, Coffman delivered the walk-off two-run shot to right center to lock up the 3-1 victory and to elate what had been rainy and weary afternoon at Warrior Field.
Watch Coffman's Walk-Off Homerun in this video highlight.
Corban 5, Simpson 3 - Game Two
The Navy and Gold overcame an early one-run deficit and utilized a three-run second inning to hold off the Red Hawks in game two, 5-3.
Four different players registered multi-hit efforts for Corban, as Orr led the way with a 2-for-2, three RBI mark. Sophomore shortstop Ryan Rosas (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) rebounded from hitless performance in game one with a 3-for-4 effort at the dish in game two, while Gallegos stayed on fire with a pair of hits in four at-bats, including a team-high two runs. In addition, Straka collected two hits in the win.
On the mound, freshman pitcher Caleb Henry (Salem, Ore.) improved to 6-2 on the season, as the hometown youngster tallied four strikeouts in six innings for the Warriors. Broge tossed for two innings and recorded one strikeout, while junior righty Adam Shumka (White Rock, B.C.) finished off Simpson in the ninth for his eighth save of the 2015 campaign.
Trailing 1-0 in the second, the Warriors logged a two-out rally with four hits and three runs to claim their first lead (3-1) of game two. Rosas launched an RBI single to right field to tie the contest at one apiece, and then Orr followed with a two-run double to left-center to cap Corban's three-run inning.
Coffman, who was the hero in game one, ripped an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth inning to extend Corban's lead to three (4-1). Although Simpson responded with an RBI single in the sixth to close the gap to two (4-2), the Navy and Gold tacked on an insurance run in the seventh frame to take a 5-2 advantage, as Orr notched an RBI single to drive home Rosas who utilized his quickness to reach on an infield single.
Simpson (12-39, 2-24 NAIA-West) continued to battle until the very end and even threatened to send the ballgame to extra innings, as the Red Hawks put two runners on with no outs in the top of the ninth frame. With runners on the corners, Simpson pulled to within two (5-3) after freshman right-fielder Austin Ruffner advanced home while Corban picked off sophomore center-fielder Casey Meyer for the second out of the inning. However, Shumka didn't budge on the mound, as the righty forced a flyout to retire the side and help the Warriors to the doubleheader sweep.
"The two wins sets up good momentum heading into Senior Day tomorrow," said head coach Jeff McKay. "Pitching and defense was good in key situations. Dallas Broge pitched well in both games, and we will need the power from Coffman and Gallegos in the post season that they displayed in game one."
Following the wins, Gallegos talked about the exciting day in a post-game interview:
Corban (24-27, 12-14 NAIA-West) returns to Warrior Field tomorrow for Senior Day in its second twin bill against Simpson. First pitch for game one is set for 11 a.m.
