ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Down 12-6 entering the ninth inning, the Corban University baseball team was all but done against NCAA Division II opponent Central Washington University (12-7) on Tuesday, but in miraculous fashion, the Warriors scored seven unanswered runs in the ninth inning en route to a dramatic 13-12 non-conference triumph. The victory gives the Warriors the season series victory over the Wildcats, winning three games to CWU's two.
Jumping straight to the dramatic ninth inning, freshman Jalen Garcia (Billings, Mont.) led off with a single before the Warriors recorded an out. He eventually came in to score on a bases-loaded hit by pitch, making it a five-run ballgame. A batter later, another run came across to score on a passed ball, making the impossible seem possible as Corban was down by just four runs at that point.
With the bases juiced, junior Jackson Smith (Salem, Ore.) came up to the dish and laced a clutch two-RBI double down the right-field line, scoring two more Warrior runners, cutting the deficit to just two runs. Next up, it was senior Braden Wolgamott (Bellevue, Wash.) providing the clutch hit, as he laced a two-RBI double down the left-field line, tying the ballgame at 12-12.
With Wolgamott eventually over at third base with two outs, Garcia, the man who started the rally with a leadoff hit, stepped back into the box. He played hero for the Warriors, as he ripped an RBI single to center field, scoring Wolgamott from third base to put the Warriors up by one run heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Freshman pitcher Jonathan Russomano (Tarzana, Calif.), who had already tossed the seventh and eighth frames for the Warriors in his collegiate debut, trotted back out to the mound in the ninth, and like a savvy veteran, finished the game off, capping off the dramatic win for the Warriors. Russomano earned the win in relief for Corban.
"The Warriors battled back in an unbelievable comeback – certainly the best by far in my time as a coach," said Corban head coach Jeff McKay. "It may very well be a turning point for our season. The team was inspired by the performance of freshman pitcher Jonathan Russomano, as in his first college game, he got the win."
Garcia was huge at the plate for Corban, going 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs scored, while Wolgamott and junior shortstop Ryan Rosas (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.) both tallied a pair of hits in the comeback win.
"It was a great team win," said McKay. "We used 24 players in the game. Central Washington is a very good team who is leading its conference. A lot of young players came of age today for the Warriors. The wind created a lot of adversity, but the Warriors showed their character."
Corban (10-13) returns to action on Thursday when it begins a four-game series with No. 2-ranked Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho). Thursday's game is a single non-conference contest set for a 4 p.m. start, while Friday's 12 p.m. doubleheader and Saturday's 11 a.m. single game will be three NAIA-West Conference contests. Games will be played at Wilsonville High School due to wet field conditions at Corban University. Live Stats will be available online.
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