Senior Chris Trammell pitched three innings of relief Saturday allowing just one unearned run on three hits, as Corban opened the 2011 NAIA West season with a loss to the ranked Warriors from Lewis-Clark State.
Corban Drops Opener to #4 Lewis-Clark State
BOX SCORE
McMINNVILLE, Ore. – In the opener of a four-game series with the NAIA's No. 4-ranked Lewis-Clark State, Corban's baseball team could only muster four singles in a 10-0 loss Saturday at Roy Helser Field on the campus of Linfield College.
Due to the weather throughout the Willamette Valley over the past 48 hours, this weekend's opening NAIA West series against L-C State had to be moved from Warrior Field north to McMinnville in order to utilize Linfield's turf infield and lighted facility.
Four Warriors – senior Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.), senior Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.), junior Jared Fritz (Ridgefield, Wash.), and sophomore Alex Bost (San Jose, Calif.) – were the only Corban players to get a hit off a quarter of Lewis-Clark State pitchers. On the hill, junior Nick Stiltner (Eugene, Ore.) went the opening 3.0 innings before giving way to fellow junior Colby Sokol (Puyallup, Wash.) and senior Chris Trammell (Salem, Ore.) for the final 6.0 innings of relief. The trio combined to allow 10 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits with three strikeouts.
Lewis-Clark State scored three runs in the top of the second inning when Aaron DeGuire brought home a pair of Warriors with a two-run double to left field that made the score 2-0 in favor of the visiting team. Two batters later, Kevin Lovelace capped the inning's scoring with a sacrifice fly to right field that brought home pinch runner Michael Bush for the final runs of the frame making the score 3-0 in L-C State's favor.
Two innings later, Lewis-Clark State put five runs on the board on three hits with the back-breaking coming off the bat of Braxton Miller via a grand slam home run down the left field line that made the score 8-0.
Lewis-Clark State would put a single run on the board in the top of the sixth inning when Trent Bridges singled through the left side bringing home Lucas Shaw for a 9-0 lead.
One inning later, L-C State capped the game's scoring when pinch hitter Bryan Abrey singled to right field brining home Cody Weiss for a 10-0 lead for the visiting team.
Miller led Lewis-Clark State's offensive attack with a 4-for-5 performance that included one run scored and four RBI. Along with Miller's sixth home run of the season, Bridges also went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with one run scored and a RBI. Pitching-wise for L-C State, Tyler Barnett went the opening 4.0 innings allowing just two hits along with a game-high six strikeouts en route to picking up his third win of the season. A trio of Warrior relievers – Cody Garner, Paul Anaya, and Zach Clanton – would combine for the final 5.0 innings allowing just two hits to go along with six K's.
With tonight's result, Corban falls to 0-9 on the season and Lewis-Clark State improves to 9-1. These same two teams will meet tomorrow – Sunday, February 27th – in a mid-afternoon double header beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Roy Helser Field on the campus of Linfield College.