Corban's seven seniors accounted for six of the Warriors' 10 runs, while also picking up both wins against No. 21-ranked The College of Idaho Saturday at Volcanoes Stadium.
Seniors Shine in Corban's Sweep Over No. 21-Ranked College of Idaho
BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
KEIZER, Ore. – On the final day of the regular season, Corban's baseball team swept the NAIA's No. 21-ranked Coyotes of The College of Idaho, 3-2 & 7-3, behind a combined 4-for-6 showing by senior Steven Blum and victories by seniors Mike McKay and Anthony Wirkkala Saturday at Volcanoes Stadium.
With today's sweep, Corban closes out the regular season at 28-21 overall and 16-15 in NAIA West play. Meanwhile, The College of Idaho falls to 36-16 overall and 21-11 in NAIA West games.
Blum led the Warriors' offense with four hits that included his team-leading eighth home run of the season in the opener to go along with a run scored and three runs batted in, while fellow senior Cody Atkinson added two hits that included his fourth home of the season in Game #1.
GAME #1 – CORBAN 3, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 2
In the opener, neither team scored until the top of the third inning when The College of Idaho got a RBI double down the left field line by Izaac Garsez that brought home Andrew Sewell following his one-out walk making the score 1-0 in favor of the visiting Coyotes.
Corban would quickly comeback in the bottom of the third inning when junior Andy Hill led off with a double down the left field line before freshman Marc Gallegos doubled to left center to bring home Hill and tied the score at 1-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Blum would give Corban a one-run lead (2-1) thanks to a leadoff home run over the left field fence for his seventh long ball in a two-week span.
The College of Idaho would tie the score at 2-2 in the top of the sixth inning following a Corban pitching change, as Garcez single to right field before beating out an attempted pick off by the Warriors. During the Coyotes' next at-bat, Garcez stole third and scored on a wild pitch for C of I's second run of the game.
Corban would take the lead for good in the bottom of the sixth inning when Atkinson belted a one-out home run over the left field fence for a 3-2 Warrior lead.
C of I would put a runner on second base in the top of the seventh inning before an inning-ending double play in the eighth helping Corban get out of a jam.
In the top of the ninth inning, The College of Idaho would load the bases with two outs following a walk by Tyler Andazola before Corban's sophomore closer Ryan Rodriguez got Garcez to fly out to centerfield to end the game and secured a hard-fought one-run victory (3-2) for the host Warriors.
Blum was 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored and one RBI, while three other Warriors – Gallegos, Atkinson, and Hill – registered a hit. Senior Tyler Doornink started on the mound for Corban allowing one earned run on three hits in 5.0 innings of work before turning the ball over to a trio of Warrior relievers – McKay, junior Jake Balbas, and Rodriguez. McKay would pick up his first collegiate victory, as he pitched the sixth inning allowing one earned run on two hits before Corban took the lead for good before he handed the ball to Balbas for the seventh inning. Rodriguez would pitch the final two innings for the Warriors allowing just two hits, as he earned his team-leading eighth save of the year.
The College of Idaho was led offensively by Garcez and Tanner Hodges with a pair of two-hit performances, while Zachary Fabricius went the distance for the Coyotes allowing three earned runs on five hits with a game-high two strikeouts.
GAME #2 – CORBAN 7, COLLEGE OF IDAHO 3
In the finale, Corban would get on the board in the bottom of the third inning when junior Marc Labarthe led off with a single to right field before being lifted by Hill, as a pinch runner. Gallegos would then reach on a fielding error by C of I's second baseman before both runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. Sophomore Gregg Romero would then drive in the game's opening run on a RBI single to right field that scored Hill before senior Colby Sokol was hit by a pitch to load the bases. One batter later, Blum would draw a bases loaded walk to put the Warriors up by two runs (2-0). After a pitching change by The College of Idaho, freshman Tyler Atkinson reached on a RBI fielder's choice that scored Sokol and handed Corban a three-run lead (3-0).
C of I would pull within a single run (3-2) in the top of the sixth inning when Hodges broke up Wirkkala's no-hitter with a two-out, two-run single up the middle that scored Riley Humberger and Garcez after the two Coyotes were walked to load the bases.
Corban would comeback with three more runs in the bottom of the seventh inning when freshman pinch hitter Jordan Johansen singled up the middle to leadoff the at-bat before Gallegos moved both runners on a single up the middle. Romero would move both runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt before Sokol was intentionally walked to load the bases. The elder Atkinson would then rip a two-run double down the right field line before Blum drove in the Warriors' third and final run of the inning on a single through the left side to extend Corban's lead to four runs (6-2).
The College of Idaho would get one run back in the top of the eighth inning when Garcez belted his sixth home run of the season over the right field wall to leadoff the inning and pull the Coyotes within three runs (6-3).
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Corban would get a leadoff single through the right side from junior Jeremiah Forrister before sophomore Kris Gokey was hit by a pitch to put runners on second and third. A fly out would advance Forrister to third before Romero lifted a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Forrister and pushed Corban's lead to four runs (7-3).
Rodriguez would come into the game in the bottom of the ninth inning for Corban and got all three C of I batters that he faced out, as the Warriors ended the weekend winning three-out-of-four games from the nationally-ranked Coyotes for the first time in program history.
Once again, Blum went 2-for-3 with two RBI and seven other Warriors – Gallegos, Romero, Sokol, the elder Atkinson, Forrister, Labarthe, and Johansen – all registered a hit. Wirkkala went the opening 6.0 innings for Corban allowing two earned runs on one hit with a game-high six strikeouts before junior Caleb Virtue and Rodriguez combined to allow one earned run on two hits.
Corban will move onto the playoffs for the first time since the 2003 season, as the Warriors will take on either Oregon Tech or tournament-host Concordia on Wednesday, May 2nd, beginning at noon in the opening game of the NAIA West Tournament being played at Hilken Community Stadium in Portland.