Portland, Ore. - The fourth-seeded Corban University baseball team took the first lead of the ballgame against the fifth-seeded College of Idaho Yotes on Friday, but the Warriors ultimately ended up falling to the Yotes in the first game of the 2015 NAIA West Tournament, 5-1. With the defeat, the Warriors fall into the losers portion of the bracket and will play tomorrow at 10 a.m. vs. Menlo College in an elimination game.
All games of the 2015 NAIA West Tournament are being played at the No. 1 seed and host school, Concordia University. Corban is making its fourth-straight trip to the NAIA West Tournament and now owns a 2-7 overall record in tournament history.
Through the first three frames, both team's pitchers were dealing, allowing no hits on either side. Corban got things going in the fourth inning, however, with senior second baseman Stockton Taylor (Brewster, Wash.) leading off with a single to left field. Eventually reaching second base on a passed ball, Taylor found himself in scoring position with two outs and senior left-fielder Peter Martin (Toledo, Wash.) at the plate. Martin delivered with a clutch single to left field, and after a bobble by the C of I left-fielder and a Taylor hesitation rounding third, Taylor sprinted home and slid around the tag at home plate safely to give the Navy and Gold the 1-0 lead.
C of I responded immediately in the fifth inning with four hits and two runs, stealing the lead back at 2-1. The Yotes then tacked on one more in the sixth to extend their advantage to 3-1.
Trying to start a rally in the bottom half of the sixth, senior first baseman Daniel Orr (Kingston, Wash.) led off with a single up the middle, and then junior right-fielder Nic Coffman (Portland, Ore.) laced a single through the right side, advancing Orr to second. Corban's next three batters all failed to bring the runners home, however, leaving two runners stranded.
The Yotes added another run in the seventh with a homerun to right field, making it a 4-1 ballgame, and then in the ninth frame tacked on another to take a commanding 5-1 lead.
The Warriors wouldn't get any sort of rally started, resulting in the four-run defeat.
Kyle Garvin tossed a complete game for the Yotes against the Warriors, allowing just seven hits and one run which was unearned. He also struck on 10 Corban batters along the way.
At the dish, Taylor went 2-for-3 and scored Corban's only run of the contest. In addition, Orr, Coffman, and Martin all tallied one hit in the contest. At the bottom of the lineup, sophomore catcher Jackson Smith (Salem, Ore.) and senior center-fielder Jon Mercer (Bothell, Wash.) both recorded base hits as well.
On the mound for the Navy and Gold, junior pitcher Tony Davidson (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) went five innings, allowing four hits and two runs while striking out three in the loss. Senior pitcher Jordan Johansen (Maple Valley, Wash.) came on in relief for the Warriors, surrendering four hits and two runs as well, while sophomore pitcher Daniel Aranda (Lebanon, Ore.) threw the final two innings for Corban, allowing two hits and one run.
Corban (26-28) will play Menlo College on Saturday in an elimination game in the NAIA West Tournament. First pitch tomorrow is set for 10 a.m.
