LEWISTON, Idaho – The Corban University baseball team gave the host Warriors a great game, but eventually fell by a final score of 5-3 in the squads first game at the CCC Tournament. With the loss, Corban will now take on the College of Idaho in an elimination game tomorrow at 2 p.m.
"I thought our guys competed well and won a lot of pitches today," said Corban Head Coach Derek Legg. "We will come out tomorrow and look to continue winning pitches."
The LC offense got off to a hot start in the top of the first against Corban starter Mason Shaw. Aidan Nagle shot an RBI single into centerfield to give the hosts at 1-0 lead. LC would attempt to strike for a big inning, but following a Justin Mazzone single to left, Corban outfielder Kyle Clay threw out Nagle at the plate to end the inning.
The second inning proved to be the costly inning for the Navy and Gold as a one out error eventually led to LC scoring four unearned runs. Nagle walked with the bases loaded to extend the score to 2-0, and a bases clearing double by Sam Linscott gave the hosts a 5-0.
From there, Shaw would continue to settle in, eventually tossing 6 innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out four.
The Corban offense struggled to gather any momentum against CCC Pitcher of the Year Trent Sellers. The best chance came in the top of the sixth inning as Maxwell Jeffrey and Kyle Clay rapped back-to-back, one out, singles. Sellers would strike out Estenio Sede, before Cale Thompson got the Navy and Gold on the board with a two-out, RBI single into centerfield. Sellers would walk the next hitter to load the bases, but the LC ace would strike out the Warrior hitter to end the inning and hold the score at 5-1.
Corban would chip into the deficit again in the eighth inning as Kyle Clay reached on an error and Sede singled through the right side. Later in the frame, Corban outfielder Chris Grayson would blast a two-out, two RBI double off the left field wall to pull Corban closer at 5-3.
The Warriors got a leadoff single in the ninth inning, but the runner was stranded at third base as the hosts and #1 seed LC would hang on for the 5-3 victory.
Chris Grayson and Cale Thompson each tallied multi-hit efforts for Corban, while relievers Hayden Van Acker and Jacob Bowser both turned in scoreless innings out of the Corban bullpen.
Corban (24-23-1) now faces elimination tomorrow in a game against College of Idaho, who dropped their first game of the tournament against the University of British Columbia. The winner of the contest will move on to face the loser of the UBC/LC game for a spot in the CCC Tournament Championship.
