LANCASTER, Calif. – After a blowout win and pitcher’s duel victory yesterday in their opening day sweep, the Corban University Baseball team (2-2, 0-0) had to settle for a four-game series split with the RV University of Antelope Valley (4-3, 0-0), dropping a marathon game one 27-17 in seven innings, followed by a tight 5-2 loss to the Pioneers, also in seven innings.
“Obviously not the outcomes we wanted on the scoreboard, but when you evaluate the weekend as a whole, we did a lot of things well,” Corban Head Coach Ethan Bragg shared earlier this evening. “We will continue to strive for growth in all facets of the game and keep trending upwards as the season progresses.”
Game 1 – UAV 27, CRB 17 (7 Innings)
Corban’s freshman starting pitcher, Ryson Wa’alani, received the opposite welcoming party to the collegiate baseball scene than expected in the bottom of the first inning, as the Pioneers roughed him up for six runs off three hits, walking four and hitting another in the process, and allowing the home team to earn their largest lead of the series, 6-0 over the Warriors.
The offensive explosion for UAV carried into the bottom of the second, adding two more runs to their total and chasing Wa’alani from the game. Senior relief pitcher Jaren Childs entered the game for the Warriors to retire the side and held the Pioneers scoreless for the next two innings.
Corban finally found a burst of offense in the top of the third inning, as junior outfielder Kyle Clay brought home a pair of runners on a bases loaded double, scoring on the next hit alongside junior infielder Aidan Bunn when graduate student infielder Kairos Torres-Umi singled on a 1-1 count.
The Pioneers finally got to Childs in the bottom of the fourth inning, charging the Anchorage native with nine runs, eight of which were earned. Childs was able to escape the inning on a fly out to left field, but the damage had already been done to give Antelope Valley a 17-4 lead.
Corban was able to chase Pioneers’ starting pitcher Colby Ring in the top of the fifth, as Clay knocked in another pair of runs to give him four RBI on the day thus far. Ring was relieved by lefty Avery Rivera, who promptly gave up another pair of runs thanks to back-to-back bases loaded walks and gave the Warriors a fighting chance, now trailing 17-8 with two innings left to play.
Antelope Valley earned a trio of runs back in the bottom of the fifth, increasing their lead back to double digits a sacrifice fly and a double that scored two runners by Pioneers’ first baseman Jacob Ortega.
However, Corban immediately answered with a bases clearing triple by sophomore rightfielder Scott Artzer, who roped a line drive that gave this contest 31 total runs scored by both teams. Artzer came in to score on the next at bat via the second home run on the season by a Corban student-athlete, this time off the bat of redshirt freshman catcher Joshua Miyazawa.
After the Pioneers snagged a run back in their half of the sixth, the Warriors were now staring at an eight-run deficit to overcome. With a leadoff double from sophomore shortstop Ryan Clay and a single and walk to follow, back-to-back doubles from sophomore designated hitter Elijah Maris and Artzer suddenly made this a four-run contest, a game in which the Navy and Gold once trailed by as many as 13 runs. UAV was able to escape the inning with a pitching change, but the Warriors had newly found momentum on their side now.
The marathon finally concluded in the bottom of the seventh, as the Pioneers and Warriors reached the 40 run mark via a bases loaded single that scored two for Antelope Valley. UAV completed the margin needed to force the game to end in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four more to reach the double-digit mark and ending this contest nearly four hours later, 27-17.
Wa’alani was charged with the loss after falling behind in the first and second innings, allowing eight runs on three hits, walking six and hitting two batters. Childs was hit off of 10 times and let 12 runs cross home plate in 4.0 innings pitched, walking another five along the way. Junior relief pitchers Bryce Bridge and James Arend combined for seven runs allowed on seven hits, pitching 1.2 innings between the two of them.
Artzer finished with five RBI on two hits for the Warriors, while Kyle Clay smacked four RBI on another two hits. Ryan Clay crossed the plate a team-high three times, adding a pair of hits as well.
Pioneers’ Ring earned his first win of the season by striking out five Warriors in 4.1 innings of work, allowing eight runs off six hits and walking three batters. Three relief pitchers for UAV closed out the remaining 2.2 innings of the contest, combining for nine runs allowed on six hits, striking out an additional five Corban batters and walking six of them.
The heaviest hitter of the game was Antelope Valley’s right fielder Raul Sandoval, who crushed a game-high six RBI and scored four runs himself on four hits. Second baseman Tyler Pruitt was right behind Sandoval with three hits, four RBI, and two runs scored.
Game 2 – UAV 5, CRB 2 (7 Innings)
The first runs in the second game of today’s doubleheader didn’t come until the bottom of the third inning, as the starting pitchers for Corban and Antelope Valley each held the opposing offenses to minimal baserunners and zero runs through two full innings. However, Pioneers’ centerfielder Noah Blythe broke the scoreless tie with a 1-out homer in the home team’s offensive half of the third inning, giving UAV a 3-0 lead.
Two more runs crossed the plate for the Pioneers in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to yet another home run, this time off the bat of third baseman Kaiden Cardoso. The Corban offense had fallen flat for the first time this season, tallying only two hits through five innings thus far.
Both the Pioneers and Warriors put ducks on the pond in the sixth inning, but neither could break through the bullpen arms to send us to the seventh frame with a 5-0 lead for UAV still intact.
Despite Kyle Clay plating the first Warriors’ run via a triple and then scoring himself on a wild pitch on the next play, the Navy and Gold couldn’t overcome their five-run deficit in the final inning of play, falling 5-2 and settling for a series split with the Pioneers.
Corban’s junior starting pitcher Preston Johnson threw 4.2 innings of five hit, five run baseball this afternoon, taking the loss in a tight three-run contest. Redshirt freshman relief pitcher Trevor Szczepanek came in for 1.1 innings, allowing only two hits and striking out four Pioneers.
Kyle Clay was responsible for both the runs in game two, driving one home and scoring the other on a wild pitch. Freshman designated hitter Michon Cole registered a hit and an impressive three stolen bases, more than the entire UAV lineup.
Pioneers’ Pruitt and relief pitcher Edgar Parker threw just 3.0 inning between the two of them to start the contest for UAV, allowing relief pitcher Michael Rivera to earn the win after just three hits came off his pitches.
The homers from Blythe and Cardoso proved to be the difference makers today, as their combined five RBI powered the Pioneer offense after scoring 27 runs in game one, while shortstop Devin Carter was the only multi-hit batter with two hits in the game.
The Warriors return to Oregon to host a three-game series against NCAA DIII Whitworth University (0-3, 0-0) at the Hillsboro Hops Stadium, Ron Tonkin Field, next Saturday and Sunday, February 11th and 12th, starting at 11am PST on both days.
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