Adair Village, Ore. – Thanks to outstanding performances from all of the Warrior seniors, the Corban University baseball team completed the series sweep of Simpson University on Saturday and celebrated Senior Day with a pair of wins. While playing the game at Santiam Christian High School due to field conditions at Corban, the Warriors won the opener, 11-5, and then the Navy and Gold finished strong in the final game of the series with a 6-1 triumph over the Red Hawks, clinching the No. 4 seed in the NAIA-West Conference Tournament.
"It was a great Senior Day and senior weekend," said head coach Jeff McKay. "The seniors went out in great style for their last 'home' games. The seniors performed very well on the field and helped greatly to contribute to the sweep. I think I was the most excited I have been all season long when Mercer and Dreier hit their homeruns, because they both have worked so hard, been good leaders, great teammates, and true Warriors."
As the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, Corban will play the No. 5 seed, The College of Idaho (31-24, 13-15 NAIA-West) in the tournament's opening game. Concordia University will host the tournament and play as the top seed.
In Saturday's opener in the third frame, Simpson got its first two runners on base, and eventually with runners on second and third, the Red Hawks took advantage. After a strikeout and throw down to first base, Aaron Curfman stole home to give the road squad the early lead.
Corban immediately answered in a big way in the bottom half of the inning with six runs, however, and it was senior Ben Straka (Eugene, Ore.) who got things started, singling up the middle. A few batters later, he came in to score when he stole home base. The big hits of the inning proved to be huge, as two other seniors got in on the action. Senior third baseman Stockton Taylor (Brewster, Wash.) blasted a two-run homerun to left-field, and then senior pinch-hitter Jon Mercer (Bothell, Wash.) made it back-to-back homers when he lined a screamer over the left-field fence to make it 6-1. For Mercer, it was his first-career homerun while donning the Navy and Gold.
Simpson put a four-spot on the board in the fourth frame, however, cutting Corban's lead to just one.
Warrior sophomore catcher Jackson Smith (Salem, Ore.) put the Navy and Gold up 7-5 in the bottom half of the sixth when he ripped an RBI single to right center, scoring junior designated hitter Hayden Calvert (Canberra, Australia) on the play.
With the bases juiced in the bottom of the eighth inning, senior center-fielder Marc Gallegos (Astoria, Ore.) laced a two-RBI single up the middle to give Corban some insurance and a four-run lead. A couple of batters later, senior first baseman Daniel Orr (Kingston, Wash.) mirrored Gallegos with a two-RBI single up the middle to make it 11-5 in Corban's favor.
Senior pitcher Jordan Johansen (Maple Valley, Wash.) came on and finished the game out for the Warriors on the mound, throwing the final three innings while allowing just one hit and shutting the Red Hawks (12-39, 2-26 NAIA-West) out to earn the save the clinch the series win for the Navy and Gold. Junior pitcher Tony Davidson (Coeur d' Alene, Idaho) earned the win in the opener for Corban throwing six innings and dispersing seven hits and five runs, only three of which were earned. He also struck out three batters in the performance.
At the dish, Taylor went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Smith notched a season-best 3-for-3 performance at the plate with one RBI and one run scored. Additionally, Gallegos registered one hit at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored.
Following the Senior Day ceremonies that honored each of Corban's nine graduating seniors in a rainy downpour, the Warriors and Red Hawks battled one final time to close out the four-game series. Pitching and defense were the story of the first five innings, as neither team got on the board and only five hits were totaled between both teams.
Straka led off the sixth for Corban with a single up the middle, trying to get something going for the home side. While he didn't end up scoring, senior left-fielder Peter Martin (Toledo, Wash.) ripped an RBI double later in the frame over the Simpson center-fielder's head, scoring Orr from first on the play to give the Navy and Gold a 1-0 advantage.
In the top of the seventh with runners on at first and third base and two outs, Corban seemed to be out of the jam when it had picked off a Red Hawk baserunner at first, but the player was deemed to be safe by the umpires, and the Simpson runner on third stole home to tie the ballgame.
The Warriors responded with a run in the bottom half of the seventh, and it was Orr who provided yet another clutch hit, lining the go-ahead RBI single to put Corban in front. A couple of batters later with the bases loaded, Martin stepped up to the plate and blasted a bases-clearing three-RBI double, giving the Navy and Gold some breathing room and a 5-1 lead.
Senior designated-hitter Scott Dreier (Santa Cruz, Calif.) led off the eighth for the Warriors in style, launching a solo shot over the left-field fence, bringing the Warrior faithful to their feet. With the homerun, he became the third Corban senior to hit a homerun on the day. For Dreier, it was his first-career homerun in a Warrior uniform.
In the ninth, sophomore pitcher Daniel Aranda (Lebanon, Ore.) closed the door on the Red Hawks, sitting Simpson down 1-2-3 to complete the series sweep for the Warriors. Aranda went two innings for the Navy and Gold, allowing just one hit and no runs while striking out two.
Following the games, Mercer, Dreier, and Taylor all talked about the exciting wins on Senior Day in a post-game interview:
At the plate in game two, Martin led the way with three hits and four RBI, while Orr tallied two hits and two runs scored for Corban.
"On the weekend, Guzzon and Johansen threw very well in their outings, Martin had the big game-changing hit today in game two, Straka had good moments defensively and offensively as well, while Taylor, Orr, and Gallegos were there usual solid producers," said McKay.
Junior pitcher Daniel Gober (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) earned the win for Corban in game two, throwing seven innings while allowing just three hits and one run while striking out four.
"It was nice and appreciated that Dr. Nord threw out the first pitch today," said McKay. "It set a good tone for the day. A 'new' season begins next week in the conference championship tournament. We have played our way in again this year, and we have beaten each team in it. This team is as good or better than any of the teams we have went in with in the last three years. We are looking forward to the opportunity. Go Warriors!"
Corban (26-27, 14-14 NAIA-West) returns to action next week at the NAIA-West Conference Tournament. The first game for the Warriors is against the No. 5-seed, C of I, and is set for Friday. Time is yet to be determined.
