HILLSBORO, Ore. – The Corban University Baseball team (3-3, 0-0) split a twin bill earlier today against NCAA DIII Whitworth University (2-4, 0-0) in a neutral site host opportunity for the Warriors at Ron Tonkin Field at Hillsboro Stadium, winning the opener 9-2 before dropping the afternoon contest 8-5.
“We continue to learn a lot about this group early in the season,” Warriors’ Head Coach Ethan Bragg said after his team’s doubleheader split against the Pirates. “They compete for nine innings and if we continue to seek out consistency in all phases of the game, good things are coming our way.”
Game 1 – Corban 9, Whitworth 2
The Pirates jumped out to a first inning lead on Warriors’ junior starting pitcher Nate Martin, scoring via three-straight singles to take a 1-0 lead and threatened to score more before Martin buckled down and escaped the opening frame with minimal damage.
It was one massive inning of offense that the Warriors needed to back Martin to his second win of the season, as they tabbed Whitworth starting pitcher Giovanni Costello for five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
After sophomore shortstop Ryan Clay singled in a run to tie the contest at 1-all, junior leftfielder Kyle Clay ripped a two-run triple that scored his brother and junior centerfielder Brad Pellkofer in the process. Sophomore designated hitter Elijah Maris and senior catcher Keenan O’Brien followed with a single and triple, respectively, to score runs number four and five in the inning and push the lead to 5-1.
After Martin took to the bench to open the seventh inning, the Pirates earned a run back against junior relief pitcher James Arend via a sacrifice fly to left field, cutting the deficit to 5-2 and forcing the Warriors into score more runs if they wanted to cruise to a series-opening win.
The Navy and Gold achieved just that in their bottom of the seventh, scoring another pair of runs thanks to a two-run double from Maris. The Warriors ended the scoring in the bottom of the eighth inning with a groundball scoring play and sacrifice fly from Pellkofer and Ryan Clay, respectively.
Martin improved to 2-0 on the season by allowing just one run off three hits in 6.0 innings pitched, striking out four and walking three batters. Arend submitted the same stat line in 3.0 innings, but with only one strikeout to his name.
Maris had a day for the Warriors in the designated hitter role, tallying two hits, three RBI and a run scored in four at bats. The Clay brothers combined for four hits, four RBI and three runs scored, while sophomore right fielder Scott Artzer added two hits and scored a run.
Pirates’ Costello accepted the loss after allowing seven runs on eight hits, thumping two batters, walking four and striking out four more in 6.2 innings of work. Relief pitchers Boe Hesse and Aidan Smith allowed two runs from one hit, two walks, two hit batters, and each struck out a Corban hitter in the remaining 1.1 innings needed of defense.
Whitworth spread out their six hits over six different batters, with designated hitter Aaron Clogston and shortstop Hunter Dryden responsible for the only two RBI in game one for the Pirates.
Game 2 – Whitworth 8, Corban 5
Whitworth once again started off the contest by scoring runs, this time tagging Warriors’ freshman starting pitcher Ryson Wa’alani for two runs to take a 2-0 lead in the first half inning. The very next frame, the Pirates roughed up Wa’alani for another two runs, chasing him from the game with over seven innings left to play still. Senior relief pitcher Jaren Childs was able to induce a ground out and then strike out left fielder Elijah Tanner with the bases loaded to escape with a 4-0 deficit.
The Warriors were able to strike in the bottom of their own offensive inning thanks to a single from junior third baseman Aidan Bunn that scored freshman pinch runner Brady Majewski from second base, but that’s all Corban could manage to accomplish trailing by multiple runs.
A single run scored in each of the next three innings for the Pirates compared to just two for the Warriors resulted in a 7-3 deficit for the host institution, as the Navy and Gold needed to find a spark in their offense if they were going to complete a comeback on Ron Tonkin Field in game two. Ryan Clay singled in the bottom of the seventh inning to score junior left fielder Brian Landon and cut the lead to three runs, but Whitworth nabbed their four-run lead back again in the top of the eighth with a double/triple combo.
Needing a two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, Maris reached via a fielder’s choice to score Ryan Clay from third base, but a ground out on the next at bat ended the comeback attempt and sealed the 8-5 victory for the Pirates.
Wa’alani accepted the loss in his second collegiate start to fall to 0-2, allowing four runs, four hits, walking three batters and hitting another two in a short 1.1 inning outing. Childs threw a three-hit, two-run ball game in 2.2 innings pitched, striking out a pair of batters and walking one more. Meanwhile, sophomore lefty Hayden Van Acker tossed 5.0 innings in relief to keep the Warriors in this ball game, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out a game-high four hitters.
Maris tallied another three RBI despite not recording a hit, while senior first baseman Nainoa Ka’ahanui recorded the only multi-hit game with two base knocks. Ryan Clay followed up his game one workload with a hit, an RBI, and three runs scored.
Pirates’ starting pitcher Dylan Bishop earned the win today thanks to 4.0 innings pitched with two runs on two hits, walking three and striking out a pair of Corban hitters. Relief pitcher Hunter Williams entered in the fifth inning to record another 4.0 innings of work, allowing two more runs off five hits but walked only one batter. Whitworth turned to relief pitcher Riley Whelan to record the final three outs in the game, which was able to do while allowing a run and two walks.
Third baseman Dawson Warner paced the Pirates with two hits and three runs scored, while designated hitter Riley Cissne tacked on another two hits and two RBI.
Corban Baseball will complete their three-game series against Whitworth tomorrow morning at 11am PST, back at Ron Tonkin Field for the rubber match between the two squads.
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