Senior Colby Sokol put together a combined four-hit, six-RBI afternoon, as Corban split a NAIA West double header with the No. 20-ranked Thunderbirds of British Columbia Saturday at Stayton High School.
Corban Splits Double Header With Ranked British Columbia
BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
STAYTON, Ore. – Senior Colby Sokol went a combined 4-for-6 at the plate with six runs batted in and sophomore Justin White picked up his team-leading fifth win of the season, as Corban University split a double header with the NAIA's No. 20-ranked British Columbia, 4-3 & 10-12 in 10 innings, Saturday on Emery Field at Joe Brock Park on the campus of Stayton High School.
With today's split, Corban moves to 10-8 overall and 2-6 in NAIA West play. Meanwhile, British Columbia goes to 13-6 overall and 6-2 in NAIA West games.
Sokol went a perfect 3-for-3 in the opening with two RBI before putting together a 1-for-3 showing in the finale that included his team-leading second home run of the season and four RBI. In Game #1, White went the opening six innings allowing two earned runs on three hits with a game-high tying two strikeouts before turning the ball over to junior Jacob Kopra, who picked up the save going the final three innings allowing one unearned run.
GAME #1 – CORBAN 4, BRITISH COLUMBIA 3
In the opener, Corban would get on the scoreboard early with a single run in the bottom of the first inning thanks to a lead off double by freshman Marc Gallegos before he moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by sophomore Gregg Romero. With a runner 90 feet away from home plate, Sokol lifted a deep fly ball to center field that allowed Gallegos to score giving Corban an early 1-0 lead.
The host Warriors would put another run on the board in the bottom of the third inning when Gallegos reached on a two-out error by British Columbia before stealing second. After Romero was hit by a pitch, Sokol ripped a single down the right field line that allowed Gallegos to score from second giving Corban a two-run lead (2-0).
British Columbia would cut the Warriors' lead in half in the top of the sixth inning when Andrew Firth was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning before advancing to third one batter later on a double by Blake Carruthers. With one out, Sebastain Wong roped a single to center field to bring home Firth and put the T-Birds on the board (2-1). On Wong's single, Carruthers moved to third but was stranded ninety feet from home when UBC grounded into an inning-ending double play to keep Corban ahead by a single run.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Corban would plate two runs when senior Cody Atkinson scored on a fielding error by UBC after he reached on a fielder's choice. Freshman Jordan Johansen would bring home the Warriors' final run of Game #1 via a run-scoring single to right field that plated junior pinch-runner Kyle Kunkel and made the score 4-1 in favor of Corban.
British Columbia would get one run back in the top of the seventh inning when Jerod Bartnik led off with a solo home run over the right field wall that brought the Thunderbirds within two runs (4-2). After a pitching change for Corban, the Warriors' defense stepped up and got a double play ground ball before ending the inning two batters later on a ground out.
After a scoreless bottom half of the seventh and eighth innings, British Columbia came to the plate with one last chance and drew back-to-back two-out walks before Ryan Taylor and Matt Spillman moved to second and third on a wild pitch. Taylor would score UBC's third run of the game on a fielding error by Corban before the Warriors' defense ended the game on a ground out to second for the hard-fought 4-3 victory.
Freshman Tyler Atkinson was a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate for Corban, while Gallegos, freshman Peter Martin, Johansen, and junior Alex Bost also collected hits for the Warriors.
British Columbia got base hits from Carruthers, Wong, and Bartnik, while Dan Britton-Foster went the opening 6.0 innings in the loss allowing four runs (one earned) on seven hits with a game-high tying two K's. Connor Smith would come into the game in relief registering the final six outs despite allowing two hits.
GAME #2 – BRITISH COLUMBIA 12, CORBAN 10 (10 INNINGS)
Saturday's finale was a different story for both teams, as Corban and British Columbia combined for 22 runs on 32 hits that included multi-hit performances by seven Thunderbirds and four Warriors.
British Columbia would put six unanswered runs on the board in the first and second innings with highlights coming off the bat of Bartnik via his third home run of the season and a two-run double by Nick Senior.
In the bottom of the third inning, Corban put two runs on the board when junior Andy Hill led off with an infield single before advancing to second on a single through the right side by Gallegos. Both runners would move up a base on a wild pitch before Romero lifted a sacrifice fly into center field allowing Hill to score from third. During the next at-bat, Gallegos would steal second and come home on a throwing error by UBC's catcher making the score 6-2 in favor of the visiting Thunderbirds.
Corban would add another run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Johansen and junior Kyle Kunkel executed a perfect double steal after Johansen reached on a single and Kunkel pinch ran for the second time on the afternoon. After Johansen scored, Corban was within three runs (6-3).
British Columbia would get the run back in the top of the fifth inning when Bartnik brought home Firth on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded pushing UBC's lead to four runs (7-3).
After a pitching change by British Columbia in the bottom of the fifth inning, Gallegos led off with a single to left field before stealing second and third base. Sokol would bring Gallegos home with his second sacrifice fly of the afternoon to bring the Warriors within three runs (7-4).
Following three consecutive at-bats without a run for either team, Corban exploded for six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning when Gallegos reached on a throwing error by UBC followed by a single through the right side by Romero. With runners on first and second, Sokol launched a 3-0 pitch over the right field wall for a game-tying three-run home run that knotted the game at 7-7. After a walk by Kunkel and a single through the right side by Tyler Atkinson, UBC made a pitching change that would result in a sacrifice bunt by Johansen that moved both runners to second and third with only one out. With a pair of runners in scoring position, senior Steven Blum belted a three-run home run over the left field wall that pushed the Warriors' lead to 10-7.
British Columbia would get two runs back in the top of the eighth inning when Firth brought home Taylor on a ground out before Senior ripped a run-scoring single through the left side that plated James Stewart to bring the T-Birds within a single runs (10-9).
After getting out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the eighth inning, British Columbia would open the ninth inning with a leadoff single by Bartnik before he advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt one batter later by Wong. With one out and runners on second and third, Taylor brought home Bartnik on a ground out that tied the game at 10-10.
Corban could not get the game-winning run across the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning, as the game went into extra innings.
British Columbia would put two runs on the board in the top of the 10th inning via a two-run go-ahead single to center field by Bartnik that scored Spillman and Senior, as the Thunderbirds took a two-run lead (12-10).
In the bottom of the 10th inning, Tyler Atkinson would register a two-out single to center field that kept the game alive only to have the Warriors' final batter strike out looking to end the game and handed UBC the 12-10 victory.
Blum would lead the Warriors' offensive attack with a 4-for-5 performance that included three RBI, while Sokol drove in a team-high four runs in the finale. On the mound, junior Caleb Virtue went the opening 1.2 innings allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits before a trio of relievers – senior Anthony Wirkkala, sophomore Ryan Rodriguez, and freshman Andy Thiessen – went the final 8.1 innings. Thiessen would suffered the heart-wrenching loss, as he allowed two unearned runs in the 10th inning.
British Columbia would get three-hit performances from Senior, Bartnik, and Cam Firth with Bartnik driving in a game-high five RBI to go along with Senior's four-RBI performance. Pitching-wise for UBC, Alex Graham went the opening 4.0 innings allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits before Markus Fergusson, Nathan Kirby, and Conor Lillis-White combined to pitch the final six innings. Lillis-White would pick up the victory, as he allowed just one hits with a game-high three strikeouts over the game's final six outs.
Corban will return to action on Tuesday, March 13th, in a single nine-inning game against NCAA Division III member Pacific University of Oregon beginning at 3:00 p.m. at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer.