KEIZER, Ore. – Following two blowout losses yesterday, the Corban University Baseball team looked to put together a consistent game against RV Oregon Tech on day two of a four-game series. The Warriors and Owls each used late game offense to split the doubleheader. The Owls of Oregon Tech took the first game of the doubleheader non-conference showdown between the CCC programs 10-7, while the Warriors responded in game two with a 7-6 win.
"Proud of the effort to bounce back today and compete," shared Warriors head coach Ryan Harris following their Saturday split. "Game one, we got a great start from Avery who gave us an opportunity to win a game. The offense was scrapping and finding ways to create runs. Then late in the game, we played scared to lose, rather than continuing to compete."
Coach Harris continued with his analysis of today's contests by stating, "In game two, we got a great start from Hayden and the offense kept creating opportunities to score and never quit fighting. Trey came in on relief and pitched with no fear and kept us in it. The offense came up clutch to get us the lead. Then we answered and finished the weekend with a win."
GAME 1 – (RV) OIT 10, CRB 7
Corban senior centerfielder Brad Pellkofer opened the first inning of game one the same way he did yesterday with an RBI double to give the Warriors an early one-run lead. Pellkofer would then be brought in ona sacrifice fly by junior outfielder Nate Gutierrez to make it 2-0 Warriors after one.
Corban and OIT would then trade runs in the second and third innings to make it 3-1 Warriors after three frames. Following an RBI single by junior second baseman Matthew Ortiz to make the deficit 3-2, the Navy and Gold capitalized on erratic decision making by the Owls to stretch the lead out 6-2 following the fifth inning.
Corban's bats went cold following the six-run outburst and OIT seized momentum in the eighth. After loading the bases, junior third baseman Tyler Horner walked to score junior shortstop Patrick Barry make it 6-3. The Owls then used a double, triple and single to take the lead 7-6, and ultimately secured the win.
In the ninth inning Horner tacked on a run with a homerun to centerfield. The Owls would tack on one more run in the game to take the first of two.
Oregon Tech was led by their top four hitters in the lineup who combined for 9-15 hitting and seven RBI. Ortiz was 4-of-5 on the morning and was constantly putting pressure on the Warrior pitching in the batters' box and on the bases.
GAME 2 – (RV) CRB 7, OIT 6
While the outcome was not what the Warriors wanted in game one, Corban showed they had found a rhythm on both sides of their game. When OIT jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning, graduate student first baseman Nainoa Ka'ahanui launched a solo home run in the second inning, his fourth on the season, to notch the game at one a piece.
OIT used small-ball in the fourth inning to stretch their lead to 3-1. Corban didn't wait long to respond to the Owls. In the fifth inning the Warriors put runners on the corners and made OIT choose their poison. Junior third baseman Ryan Clay hit a tough ball to the pitcher that only allowed him to get out, but in the process brought home a run. The equalizer came in the form of junior pinch runner Fran Gross, who scored on a wild pitch the very next at-bat.
The theme for the weekend was timely hitting by the top half of the Oregon Tech lineup. Centerfielder Alonzo Vergara produced RBI plate appearances in the sixth and seventh innings. Horner also contributed to the OIT lead by doubling home a run in the seventh, expanding the lead to three, 6-3, after the seventh-inning stretch.
However, the Warriors came out swinging and they connected in the late innings. Clay hit a two-run triple to right center that quickly shrank the lead to 6-5. Corban left Clay on third and OIT still had the one run cushion. Sophomore pitcher Trey Williams shut the door on the Owls in the eighth inning and the bats responded. Once again, the Navy and Gold used small ball to set up junior outfielder Noah Owens with an RBI opportunity, and he took advantage with a single. Junior catcher Hayden Wilson drove in the go ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Williams and junior pitcher Nathan Findley closed the door on the Owls in the ninth inning to secure a split on day two.
The Warriors will open Cascade Collegiate Conference play next Friday at home against No. 3-ranked Lewis-Clark State College. The first game of the doubleheader will start at 3pm.
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