LA GRANDE, Ore. – The Corban University Baseball team earned themselves plenty of scoring opportunities throughout their opening doubleheader on the road against Eastern Oregon University yet were unable to come through with timely base hits to drop 7-5 and 14-3 decisions to the Mountaineers at Optimist Field.
"Game one was a very competitive game," explained Warriors' head coach Ryan Harris. "In the third we kicked the ball around, and they took advantage with a big inning. We fought back and tied it up in the sixth, but they took the lead back in the seventh and just came up empty in the eighth and ninth. Chris pitched very well for us, which the box score doesn't tell how well he pitched today. I thought Ryan, Isaac, Peyton, Drew, and Chase all did a nice job at the plate. Game two just wasn't good all around, not much else to say really. Didn't pitch well, didn't play efficient on defense, and didn't perform well at the plate especially when we needed to with runners on base."
Game 1 – Eastern Oregon 7, Corban 5
Despite scoring the first run of the ballgame, the Warriors (10-29, 5-22) quickly fell behind 5-1 through the first three innings after the Mountaineers (11-28, 7-20) tallied four runs in the second followed by a solo home run in the third. Corban struck back in the fifth with three runs to cut the deficit to a single run, which they promptly tied up at 5-all when senior third baseman Ryan Clay reached first via error, allowing senior leftfielder Fran Gross to score from third base.
However, in the bottom of the seventh, a pair of RBI-doubles by EOU sank the Navy and Gold's road win hopes, as the offense stalled out for the remainder of the contest and resulted in the 7-5 home victory for Eastern Oregon.
Warriors' senior starting pitcher Chris Shaffer tossed a complete game effort and allowed six earned runs on 11 hits and six strikeouts, with just one hit by pitch and base on balls across 8.0 innings. Mounties' starter Shane Sinclair received the no-decision after lasting 5.2 innings with five runs off ten hits, four strikeouts, and a pair of walks, while relief pitcher Alex Farnsworth picked up his first win of the year after holding Corban scoreless over the last 3.1 frames of defense for EOU.
A 12-hit effort by the Corban defense amounted to just five runs as the squad left ten men on base in game one alone, as Clay finished 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Senior first baseman Drew DeMasi, junior shortstop Isaac Bateman, and junior centerfielder Chase Elliott all cashed in on two base knocks apiece, while junior second baseman Peyton Rickard collected two RBI.
The two, three, and four holes of the Eastern Oregon lineup were a combined 6-for-11 with a pair of RBI and runs scored, as eight different Mountaineers secured at least one hit in the series' opener led by designated hitter Mario Landeros (2-for-3, RBI, run scored).
Game 2 – Eastern Oregon 14, Corban 3 (7 Innings)
A disastrous fifth inning was the difference between the Corban baseball program possibly earning a day one split and instead suffering a twin bill sweep to the Mountaineers, S early inning errors allowed baserunners to move at will and a seven-run frame turned a narrow 5-3 ballgame into a 12-3 blowout, eventually resulting in the 14-3 final score in a run-rule shortened outcome.
Warriors' senior starter Josephan Gonzalez lasted just 2.0 innings after allowing four runs on four hits, four walks, and three punchouts, while freshman John Bragg and redshirt sophomore Eddie Gould relieved Gonzalez to combine for the final 4.0 innings in the seven-inning affair.
The best offensive help received all year for EOU starter Will Seslar approved the San Francisco native to clinch his first win of the season, as he struck out four Warriors in a complete game outing while allowing three runs on five hits and a quartet of walks.
Rickard was the only Navy and Gold threaded batter in game two with multiple base hits, finishing 2-for-3 while scoring a run. Clay, Elliott, and redshirt sophomore catcher Jeremiah Pinkerton were the only other Corban hitters with base knocks to close out the day one doubleheader.
Corban and Eastern Oregon will return to Optimist Field tomorrow morning for 11am and 2pm first pitches to close out their conference series.
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