REDDING, Calif. – The Corban University baseball team won a thriller in game one on Sunday (8-5) and then registered a blowout win in game two (11-0), completing the series sweep over the Simpson University Red Hawks. With the four wins over the weekend, Corban took seven of the eight games against Simpson throughout the 2016 campaign.
In addition, the four wins bring Corban to within one win of clinching a spot in the NAIA West Conference Tournament. The Warriors face off against Oregon Tech next weekend at home, and Corban needs just one win against the Owls in order to clinch its spot in the tournament.
In game one, senior Hayden Calvert (Canberra, Australia) got Corban on the board and tied the game with an inside the park home run in the fourth frame, and then freshman Zach Penrod (Nampa, Idaho) blasted a three-run home run later in the frame, putting Corban up 5-1.
The Red Hawks rallied and tied the game at 5-5 in the eighth inning, but Warrior senior Landon Frost (Bend, Ore.) came up clutch and ripped a two-RBI double in the top of the ninth to break the tie. Freshman Daniel Freiburger (Rupert, Idaho) followed that up with an RBI single, putting Corban up 8-5.
Warrior senior pitcher Daniel Gober (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) came on in the ninth for the Navy and Gold and closed the door on the Red hawks, sitting Simpson down 1-2-3 en route to earning the save.
Sophomore pitcher Rilyn Lewchuk (Oregon City, Ore.) went seven solid innings in the start for Corban in the no-decision, allowing just five hits and three runs while striking out seven batters.
In game two with the Warriors looking to earn the four-game series sweep over Simpson, Calvert blasted a long home run in the first frame to put the Warriors in front early.
Corban would add one in the second, three in the third, and one more in the fourth to take a comfortable 6-0 lead into the fifth inning.
One more run in the sixth and then four runs in the eighth inning lifted Corban to the eight-inning 11-0 triumph over the Red Hawks. In the series, the Navy and Gold scored a total of 50 runs, marking a season-high for any four-game series on the 2016 campaign.
"50 runs in a four-game series is a lot of offense," said Corban head coach Jeff McKay. "We are hitting our stride and improving our offensive approach as well. Another shutout for the pitching staff to build from. This sweep puts us within one more win of clinching a conference tournament spot. We are two games out of second place in the conference race, and we are looking forward to next weekend's last home conference series and senior weekend."
In the game-two win, 10 different players registered at least one hit, while junior Kyle Killian (Prosser, Wash.) led the way with two hits.
Sophomore pitcher Thomas Kerr (Olympia, Wash.) registered his longest outing of the 2016 campaign, going seven full innings while allowing three hits and no runs while striking out seven batters.
"Thomas Kerr had his longest outing of the year in game two with seven shutout innings," said McKay. "Hayden Calvert's solo home run in the second game to open the scoring was a massive shot. We are peaking at the right time and are beginning to get a full healthy roster for the first time this year."
Corban (20-21, 15-12 NAIA West) returns home for its final home regular-season series of the 2016 campaign next weekend against Oregon Tech. First pitch on both Friday and Saturday is set for 11 a.m.
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