Corban-Puget Sound End Night Cap in 13-13 Tie

Salem-News.com SPORTS

TACOMA, Wash. - Following a scoreless opening game effort by the Warriors, Corban's baseball team exploded for thirteen runs in the night cap only to have darkness and an identical thirteen runs by the host Loggers end the second half of Saturday's double header in a tie.

Corban senior Ryan Heil led all players with a 5-for-6 performance at the plate with four runs scored and 2 runs batted in.

Meanwhile, sophomore Craig Spicer turned in a 3-for-6 performance and junior Jamie McGraw went 2-for-4 with 3 runs scored.

The visiting Warriors came out of the gate and scored five runs over the first two innings with the kick start coming in the first inning via RBIs by senior Brett Timmerman, junior Darren Johnson, and junior Scott Flux.

In the second inning, Corban got RBIs from Spicer and Timmerman en route to giving senior starting pitcher Scott Fitchett a 5-run cushion to work with.

Unfortunately for Fitchett and the Warriors, Puget Sound's Joe Newland hit his third home run of the twin bill in the 3rd inning over the left field wall to drive in the Loggers' first two runs of the night cap.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Puget Sound exploded for five more runs en route to taking the lead, 7-5.

Puget Sound scored five runs on a pair of hits, including a grand slam home run over the left field wall by Gregorio Beck.

The Warriors could not score in the 6th inning, but UPS put a single run on the board in the bottom of the inning when Shaun Kiriu stole home following a single and pass ball that allowed him to advance all the way to third base.

Kiriu's stolen base put the host Loggers up by three runs, 8-5, only to see Corban cut that lead to a pair of runs in the top of the 7th inning via an RBI double to left field by senior Brett Timmerman that scored Heil from third.

Puget Sound's seventh inning saw the Loggers put a three-spot on the board via a pass ball that scored Beck, an RBI single through the left side by A.J. Jorg, and an RBI single up the middle by Pete Marcek.

With UPS up by five runs (11-6), Corban came out in the 8th inning and scored a season-high seven runs when the first nine batters reach base safely thanks to five hits, a throwing error, a walk, and a hit by pitch.

Via their largest single-inning scoring output of the season so far, Corban had a two-run lead (13-11) with only six outs to go.

In the 8th inning, Puget Sound cut the Warriors' lead in half when Newland scored via a failed pick off attempt to make the score, 11-10, in favor of the visiting team.

With Timmerman on the mound for the final three innings, UPS scored another single run in the 9th inning via a double to left center by Michael Olsen that scored Kiriu and knotted the game at 13-all.

In the 10th and final inning (due to darkness), Corban went three and out against UPS's Kiriu, while Puget Sound was held scoreless by Timmerman despite allowing a hit in the game's final stanza.

This is the first time since the 2001 season that a Warrior squad has ended a game deadlocked.

The last time that happened was when then-Western Baptist tied conference rival Concordia, 6-6, in 15 innings before the game was called due to darkness.

That is a span of 246 games between ties for the Warrior baseball program.

As a team, Corban recorded sixteen hits with Heil leading the way with his five base knocks, while Spicer, McGraw, and Timmerman each registered a pair of hits.

Fitchett went the first 5.0 innings of work, allowing 7 runs (all earned) on 5 hits, while striking out 5 Logger batters.

Bolden relieved Fitchett for the sixth inning, before handing the ball over to sophomore Brandon Wolters and Timmerman for the game's final four innings.

Puget Sound's was led by Kiriu and Olsen, who each recorded three hits, while Newland, Tim Steggall, and Beck added a pair of hits each.

UPS's Ryan Gustafson went the first 6.0 innings, allowing 6 runs (all earned) on nine hits, while fanning 3 Warrior batters.

Zach Green, Jarvis Nohara, Dusty Kauflin, Garret Proosch, and Kiriu combined to throw the final four innings, allowing 7 runs (6 earned) on 7 hits, while striking out a combined two Corban hitters.

With the unusual tie, Corban sees its record go to 0-2-1 overall, while Puget Sound moves to 1-1-1 on the season.

The Warriors will return to the field on Thursday, February 15th, when they travel south to Redding, California for a 6:30 PM match up with Simpson University

Adding comments to these stories has been disabled. View the current sports stories Salem-News Sports