KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – While playing in his first-ever series with the Corban University baseball team, Andrew Axmaker has made quite the impact, as on Sunday, he blasted a grand slam to lift the Warriors to a Sunday split with Oregon Tech. After coming from behind to win game one on Sunday, 14-9, the Warriors stumbled in the series finale, 9-4.

"It was a very big comeback in game one with a strong offensive performance," said Corban head coach Jeff McKay. "Another Austin Marsh pinch-hit single and Andrew Axmaker's grand slam were the key hits."

In the thrilling game one triumph, the Warriors trailed 5-1 in the sixth inning, but Corban pulled a pair of runs back to make it a two-run ballgame. Oregon Tech responded immediately with two runs of its own to make it 7-3, but then the Warriors scored five runs in the seventh frame to nab the 8-7 lead, highlighted by a Kyle Kilian two-RBI single and a pinch-hit RBI single from Austin Marsh.

The Owls tied things up in the bottom half of the seventh, setting up the dramatics in the ninth.

Drew Loera put the Warriors on top 10-8 thanks to a clutch two-RBI single to left field, and then with the bases loaded, Axmaker stepped up to the dish and blasted a grand slam, putting the Navy and Gold up 14-8. While Corban would give one back in the bottom half of the ninth, the hill was too steep to climb for Oregon Tech, resulting in the win for Corban.

In the victory, Axmaker finished with five RBI, while Loera went 3-for-5 at the dish with three RBI and both Kilian and Benjamin Liogon tallied two hits. Dom Baker earned the win in relief for Corban, tossing 2.2 innings while allowing just two hits and one run.

Game two saw the Warriors take a 3-1 lead in the third inning thanks to a two-RBI single from Jarett Thoren, but the Owls responded with seven runs in the fourth frame to take back a five-run advantage. Oregon Tech would add one in the fifth and Corban pulled one back in the seventh, but the deficit was too great too large to overcome at that point, resulting in the five-run defeat.

Via the win, Oregon Tech (15-18, 10-8 NAIA West) claimed the series triumph, three games to one.

In the loss, Thoren went 2-for-4 with two RBI, while Axmaker finished with a pair of hits in the defeat as well.

"We failed to get the usual good starting pitching in this series overall," said McKay. "We are looking forward to being at home for the last three home conference series."

Corban (11-21, 5-14 NAIA West) returns home for a four-game series with College of Idaho next weekend. Games are set for Saturday and Sunday at Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Stadium.

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