Junior Luke Balbas registered Corban's lone hit in the night cap, as the Warriors dropped a pair of NAIA West games to nationally-ranked The College of Idaho on Saturday.
Weekend Finale Goes Opposite Way of Corban Versus No. 23 College of Idaho
BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
SALEM, Ore. – In the final two games of a four-game weekend series with the NAIA's No. 23-ranked Coyotes of The College of Idaho, Corban's baseball team fell victim to an extra-inning loss and a solid Coyote pitching combo in Game #2 falling 5-4 in 10 innings & 18-3 Saturday afternoon on Warrior Field.
After today's results, Corban falls to 10-26 overall and 4-18 in NAIA West play. Meanwhile, The College of Idaho improves to 26-10 overall and 16-4 in NAIA West action.
Junior Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.), sophomore Jonathan Ramirez (New Britain, Conn.), and freshman Jake Balbas (Meridian, Idaho) all registered two hits each, while junior Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.) drove in two runs to go along with fellow junior Luke Balbas' (Boise, Idaho) RBI double in the night cap.
GAME #1 – COLLEGE OF IDAHO 5, CORBAN 4 (10 INNINGS)
In the opener, The College of Idaho struck first in the top of the second inning when Kyle Douglas led off with a solo home run before Gavin Gamboa knocked in two runners with a double two batters later for an early 3-0 Coyote lead. Jordan Lanman with cap C of I's scoring with a single that brought home Gamboa to push the visiting 'Yotes' lead to four runs.
Corban would get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Winsor, Jake Balbas, and freshman Marc Labarthe (Salem, Ore.) led of with back-to-back-to-back singles that loaded the bases with no outs. After a pair of strikeouts, senior Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) reached on a C of I throwing error that extended the inning enough for Hiebert to rope a two-run single that brought Corban within a single run (4-3). During the Warriors' next at-bat, Warner came home with Corban's fourth run before Hiebert was thrown out on a delayed double steal attempt.
With the score knotted at 4-4 after four innings, it became a pitcher's dual until the bottom of the ninth inning when Corban had a chance to end the game in regulation. Following a pair of outs, Ramirez reached on a C of I fielding error before advancing to third on freshman Craig Baker's (Meridian, Idaho) single with two outs. Unfortunately, the Warriors could not get the game-winning run across the plate sending the game into extra innings.
In the top of the 10th inning, The College of Idaho got a lead-off single from Lanman before he advanced to second on a ground out one batter later. On a play that would have ended the inning, Corban felt victim to a fielding error off the bat of Douglas that allowed Lanman to score the eventual game-winning run.
Corban would go quietly in the bottom of the 10th inning, as the nationally-ranked Coyotes escaped with a heart-wrenching one-run victory (5-4).
Baker would pitch the opening 6.0 innings for Corban allowing four earned runs on seven hits before turning the ball over to Winsor for the final 4.0 innings. The Warriors' reliever would suffer the heart-breaking loss despite striking out a team-high two batters.
The College of Idaho was led offensively by Lanman, who went 3-for-5 with one run scored and one run batted in. Meanwhile, Ray Santiago and Gamboa each registered two hits to go along with Jacob Coats' 7.1-inning output in which he allowed four unearned runs on nine hits before turning the ball over to Mitchell Dame for the final 2.2 innings. Dame would pick up his second win of the weekend in relief, as he allowed a mere one hit on the mound.
GAME #2 – COLLEGE OF IDAHO 18, CORBAN 3
The weekend's final game would belong solely to The College of Idaho, as the visiting Coyotes scored 18 runs over the opening four innings that included a seven-run first inning.
Corban would strike for three runs in the bottom of the second inning when junior Steven Candelaria (Farmington, N.M.) drew a lead off walk before Labarthe walked one batter later. With runners on first and second, Luke Balbas roped a double that allowed Candelaria to score before junior pinch runner Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) and Balbas scored one batter later on a C of I fielding error to pull within four runs (7-3).
Unfortunately, Corban would not plate another run as The College of Idaho put up nine runs in the third inning that included a pair of home runs by Gamboa off two different Warrior pitchers.
Balbas would register Corban's lone hit in Game #2, as five Warrior pitchers – Hiebert, sophomore Tyler Doornink (Yakima, Wash.), junior Kyle Lamson (Medford, Ore.), sophomore Quinn Macnab (The Dalles, Ore.), and freshman Caleb Virtue (Vancouver, Wash.) – combined to allow 18 runs (seven earned) on 15 hits.
The College of Idaho was led by Gamboa's perfect 2-for-2 performance that included two runs scored and five RBI, while Bobby Wassman and Chad Yeggy combined to pitch C of I's first one-hitter since the 2002 season.
Corban will return to the field on Tuesday, April 13th, for a single game against crosstown rival and NCAA Division III member Willamette beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Warrior Field.