FOREST GROVE, Ore. – After dropping the opener of today's doubleheader with NCAA DIII Pacific University by a final score of 9-3, the Corban University Baseball team rebounded in game two by earning a 12-9 win and snapping their non-conference losing streak before traveling to face their first conference opponent next weekend.
"Game one we just didn't come out attacking," Corban head coach Ryan Harris said shortly after their Sunday doubleheader. "We fell behind in counts on the mound and didn't come out attacking their pitchers. Game two was a much different story and we came out with a better mindset. We executed different things offensively to get us going. Some great pitching performances from Hayden, Nathan, and Avery. The defense was great to go along with it. Biggest thing is that we broke that losing streak and can look to build off this win next weekend!"
GAME 1 – Pacific 9, Corban 3
In their first matchup within the Oregon state borders thus far this season, the Warriors (-) were challenged early by the Boxers (-) but found a way to escape each defensive half-innings with scoreless results. Senior starting pitcher Bryce Bridge found himself in a bases-loaded situation to start the bottom of the second, but he was able to induce back-to-back strikeouts and a pop-up to right field to escape the frame without damaging his ERA.
Bridge was rewarded with a one-run lead in the top of the third, as junior rightfielder Noah Owens doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a flyball to right. Junior third baseman Ryan Clay was able to single home Owens two at-bats later with a line drive down the third baseline.
However, another bases-loaded situation with no outs for Bridge ended up proving costly in the bottom of the third, as the Boxers netted two runs to take their first lead of the ballgame and chase Bridge from the mound before escaping the frame. Sophomore relief pitcher Aidan Bray entered and allowed back-to-back walks to send two more runners to home plate in what would end as a 4-1 advantage for Pacific through three innings of play.
The Navy and Gold snagged a run back in the top of the fourth thanks to a tough groundball to second base by redshirt sophomore Joshua Miyazawa, as the chopper proved too difficult to handle by the Boxers' second baseman to allow Miyazawa to advance all the way to second on the error and score graduate student first baseman Nainoa Ka'ahanui in the process.
After a scoreless bottom half of the fourth, Corban threatened once again in the top of the fifth, as they loaded the bases with no outs just as the Boxers had done to them in the second and third. The Warriors would net just one run though to pull within a single scoring play in a 4-3 deficit and strand the bases loaded at the midway point of game one.
Pacific finally broke through offensively again in the bottom of the fifth with four runs to double their score and increase the lead to five runs, as the Boxers scored on a pair of RBI singles and a two-run double to strengthen their grasp on a home opener victory to start the 2024 season.
The Boxers tacked on one more run before the final out of the ninth inning to end game one 9-3, resulting in a loss for Bridge while Bray and junior relief pitcher Sam Greenhalgh combined for 5.0 innings, five runs off seven hits, seven walks, and a pair of strikeouts.
Pacific starting pitcher Will Clark was credited with the game one wins after allowing a single run off two hits with three strikeouts. Four more Boxers relieved Clark and allowed two runs and four hits, alongside five walks and striking out seven more Corban batters.
The Warriors spread six hits out amongst five different batters, with Clark securing the only multi-hit game of the opener in Forest Grove today with a pair of base knocks. Sophomore second baseman Brady Majewski, Ka'ahanui, and Owens all scored a run while Clay and Miyazawa earned the only two RBI the offense could muster.
Boxers' first baseman Walker Matthews tallied a game-high three hits in game one with a pair of runs scored, while rightfielder CJ Colyer added two hits and three runs offensively for the Forest Grove based program. Third baseman Vincent Lagatta was the only other hitter with multiple base hits and leftfielder Davis Koester drove in the game-high RBI mark with three on the afternoon.
GAME 2 – Corban 12, Pacific 9
In typical Corban baseball fashion, the Warriors struck first in the second game of today's doubleheader once again, making it nine of 13 games played with the first run of the game crossing the plate by a Warrior. Ka'ahanui singled to left field in the top of the first inning to score Majewski, while redshirt junior catcher Hayden Wilson scored on passed ball in the top of the second inning to double their lead to 2-0.
Pacific once dropped a crooked number on the Navy and Gold in the bottom of the third frame, scoring four runs to take their own two-run lead thank to a one-run double. a two-run home run, and finally an unearned run after the Warriors commited an error trying to catch a runner stealing at second.
Ka'ahanui continued his hot streak with a two-RBI double that flipped a one-run deficit in the top of the fourth back into a one-run lead for Corban after Clay's groundout with the bases loaded brought home a run. All with two outs, sophomore designated hitter Trey Williams forced a tough play on the infield that would skip by the first baseman and allow two more runs to score and would then score the next at-bat after Wilson singled to centerfield in a six-run frame for the Warriors.
The pendulum of momentum swung back in favor of the home team once again in the very next half inning, as the Boxers added two runs after chasing Warriors' junior starting pitcher Hayden Van Acker from the game after allowing four runs over three innings. Redshirt junior relief pitcher Nathan Findley was tagged for both runs in the bottom of the fourth on three hits.
After senior centerfielder Brad Pellkofer found his first base hit of the day with a leadoff double and advanced to third on a passed ball in the top of the sixth, Ka'ahanui once again came in clutch with a deep sacrifice fly ball to left field to increase the Warriors' lead back to three runs at 9-6.
Another marathon of a game for Corban baseball continued into the bottom of the seventh, as the Boxers launched a lead-off homer and then proceeded to tie the game with two unearned runs after an error in the Warrior infield saw runners come around to score from both third and second base.
Pellkofer put the Navy and Gold on his back in the top of the eighth, as he blasted a two-run bomb down the right field line after Majewski drew an inning-opening walk and once again provided the Warriors with an 11-9 lead. Another RBI in the top of the ninth from Pellkofer gave Corban the three-run advantage they needed to secure the 12-9 win after two masterful innings by true freshman relief pitcher Avery Williamson.
Findley was awarded the win in today's nightcap by tossing 4.0 innings and allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out a pair of Boxers and walking none. Williamson secured the first save of his collegiate career by walking one and seeing another hitter reach via a hit through 2.0 innings of relief work.
Pacific's Lagatta came in out of the field to toss 2.0 innings late in game two, surrendering the two runs to Pellkofer that would result in the loss decision alongside three total hits, a walk, and three strikeouts.
After a hitless affair in game one, Pellkofer bounced back with a two-hit, three-run, and three-RBI performance in game two that included the game-winning runs on his two-run blast. Ka'ahanui continued his aggressive approach at the plate for another three hits, four RBI, and a run scored.
The Boxers were led offensively by four different hitters with two-hit executions at the plate, led by Colyer and his three RBI and two runs scored. The top four spots in the Pacific lineup were responsible for over half of the team's hits in the doubleheader finale.
With the Warriors' final non-conference doubleheader having been completed, they'll now turn their attention towards a conference foe next weekend in Eastern Oregon University (6-5) and play a four-game series in La Grande beginning on Saturday, February 24th.
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