Both Offense and Defense Shine in Corban Baseball’s Opening Day Sweep of RV Antelope Valley - Cascade Collegiate Conference Skip To Main Content

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Five different Warriors scored at least two runs, led by leadoff batter Pellkofer.
Doug Pfeiler
Five different Warriors scored at least two runs, led by leadoff batter Pellkofer.

Baseball Clayton Messerle, Director of Athletic Communications

Both Offense and Defense Shine in Corban Baseball’s Opening Day Sweep of RV Antelope Valley

LANCASTER, Calif. – The Corban University Baseball team (2-0, 0-0) made the most of their opening day doubleheader at The Hangar in Lancaster, California, as the Warriors knocked off RV University of Antelope Valley (2-3, 0-0) in the Pioneers’ home opener to kickstart their season with an undefeated record, and a pair of NAIA Top 25 wins.

“It was great to get back on the diamond and play some meaningful baseball,” Warriors’ first-year Head Coach Ethan Bragg said shortly after his team’s convincing sweep of the Pioneers. “The guys bought into playing the style of baseball we’ve worked on all year, and it was good to see some positive results from that today.”

Bragg went on to elaborate by sharing, “There is still a lot of the season left in front of us, but if we continue to compete mentally and physically like we did today, we will be in a lot of games. I’m proud of the groups’ effort and look forward to another opportunity for us to grow tomorrow.”

Game 1 – CRB 15, UAV 5 (7 Innings)

The Warriors wasted zero time scoring in their first inning of the year, as Corban plated six runs in the opening frame thanks to a walk and two-straight hits. Junior outfielder Brad Pellkofer drew a leadoff walk and scored the next at bat on a triple from sophomore infielder Ryan Clay. He crossed home plate right after his triple via a single from his brother, junior outfielder Kyle Clay.

It appeared that all of the opening offense had come to a close after back-to-back outs, but a pair of singles, an error, and a hit by pitch allowed two more runs to score and flipping the Corban lineup back to Pellkofer, who promptly earned his second-straight walk to force in another run. Ryan Clay forced in another run via a walk, and the Pioneers finally managed to stop the bleeding at 6-0 via a fly out to end the inning.

Sophomore lefty Hayden Van Acker took to the mound for the Warriors in their first outing of the season and made quick work of Antelope Valley in their first offensive series. Following a ground out to Ryan Clay at shortstop, Van Acker allowed a walk and then quickly erased the threat with a fly out to right field and some help from his catcher, senior Keenan O’Brien, who promptly threw out Pioneers’ right fielder Charles Morgan attempting to steal second for a clean first inning of work.

O’Brien gave the Warriors some more offensive support in the top of the second, plating graduate student infielder Kairos Torres-Umi after the Eastern Arizona College transfer led off the inning with a double. He scored the very next at bat on a ground out to the pitcher, leading to an 8-0 Corban advantage through an inning and half of play.

After another quick inning of work from Van Acker, the Warriors rattled off another run in the top of the third inning to keep their scoring streak alive, as Ryan Clay earned another RBI on a single that plated Pellkofer, his second run of the afternoon thus far.

The Pioneers finally plated their first runs of the game in the bottom of the third innings, as a leadoff single crossed the plate thanks to a two-run bomb from UAV’s Morgan two at bats later. Van Acker escaped the inning by forcing a flyout from the next batter, but the Pioneers now had their first bit of momentum of the contest.

Antelope Valley relief pitcher Josiah Nickel entered the contest to allow just one hit to the Warriors over the next two frames, but Van Acker settled in to keep the Pioneers scoreless as well. In the top of the sixth inning, the Warriors earned back the two runs they gave up in the third and more, posting a five-run frame with RBIs from sophomore designated hitter Elijah Maris, junior infielder Aidan Bunn, freshman pinch hitter Roger Viloria, Pellkofer and Ryan Clay.

The Pioneers rattled off another pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth inning via a double and single, but O’Brien answered the following frame with a solo shot of his own to put the Warriors out 15-4 on UAV’s home field. Despite earning back that run in the bottom of the seventh, the damage had already been done, and the Pioneers allowed the Warriors to walk in and ruin their home opener with a 15-5 victory called in seven innings.

Corban crushed 14 hits and 14 RBI as a team en route to the blowout victory, led by O’Brien’s three-hit, solo RBI game. The Clay brothers each tallied a pair of hits, while Ryan earned a game-high four runs batted in. Five different Warriors scored at least two runs, led by leadoff batter Pellkofer.

Van Acker finished the day with 6.0 innings of work and 71 pitches thrown, allowing just seven hits and three earned runs while striking out a single batter. Warriors’ sophomore relief pitcher Sam Greenhalgh came in to close out the final inning, allowing just one run on one hit.

Morgan was the only Pioneer to find consistency at the plate today for UAV, registering two hits, two runs, and knocking in a pair of RBI. Antelope Valley starting pitcher Danny Sullivan was roughed up for nine runs off six hits in 3.0 innings pitched before being pulled for relief pitcher Dawson Bakker who allowed six more runs off eight hits, striking out eight Warriors along the way.

 

Game 2 – CRB 2, UAV 1 (7 Innings)

The beginning of the second game for today’s doubleheader was much more defensively focused than the previous contest, as the first run of the contest wasn’t plated until the top of the third inning due to a pitching duel between both squads’ starting arms.

Maris was hit by a pitch to open the Warriors’ top of the inning, then made his way to third base via a Viloria groundout and passed ball. Bunn then walked to set up a double-steal scenario for the Corban offense, to which they pulled off to perfection to put a Bunn at second and Maris across home plate.

Antelope Valley managed to tie the contest at 1-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning, as a groundout to Ryan Clay allowed Pioneers’ centerfielder Noah Blythe to score from third. To this point in the contest, Warriors’ starting pitcher Nate Martin had allowed just the single run and struck out five Pioneers along the way.

Pellkofer put Corban back in front on an RBI groundout to the second baseman, allowing Bunn to score and give the Warriors a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth inning. Martin was able to induce three quick outs over the bottom of the sixth frame for the Corban defense, but the one-run lead was not providing Warrior Nation with the same level of confidence it once held in game number one against the Pioneers heading into the final inning of play.

However, it all proved to be a moot point, as Corban redshirt sophomore relief pitcher Trevor Szczepanek was able to close out the complete game gem over the Pioneers via a ground out, an outstanding fielder’s choice action at the plate by Ryan Clay to O’Brien, and one final ground out to clinch the Warrior’s undefeated day one of play.

Martin finished his day with 6.0 innings of work, allowing just five hits and a single run to Antelope Valley while striking out eight batters. Meanwhile, Ryan Clay picked up another hit, while Pellkofer plated the game-winning run by grounding out to send Bunn home.

UAV starting pitcher Caleb Ruiz was able to contain the Warriors for a majority of the contest by striking out seven batters, but two runs on three hits proved to be enough for Corban to eke out a win and send Ruiz to the loss column for his second-straight game. Blythe picked up a pair of hits for the Pioneers, alongside right fielder Adrian Sandoval who each finished 2-for-3 in game two.

Corban Baseball returns to the diamond tomorrow morning for another doubleheader with the Pioneers, slated to begin at 11am and 2pm PST.

 

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