Lewis & Clark Rallies to Defeat Corban, 9-8

With the loss Corban drops to 4-9-1 overall on the season.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

WEST LINN, Ore. - Despite a 3-for-4 performance by senior Brett Timmerman with a double and a triple, Corban's baseball team fell to NCAA Division III member Lewis & Clark, 9-8, on Tuesday at West Linn HS thanks to a single run by the Pioneers in the ninth inning with the bases loaded.

Lewis & Clark began the game with four runs in the first inning off freshman starter Eric Fry, as the right-hander allowed four runs (all earned) on four hits, including the game's lone home run -- a 2-run shot to right field by the Pioneers' Mike Giardina.

Despite trailing by four runs, Corban rallied back in the 3rd inning when the Warriors tallied three runs.

Junior Scott Flux, junior Jamie McGraw, and senior Ryan Heil each tallied an RBI with Flux and Heil registering their run batted in via sacrifice fly outs to center field.

Corban tied the game at 4-all in the fourth inning when sophomore Craig Spicer tripled to center field before Timmerman recorded his first of two RBIs with a single up the middle that scored Spicer from ninety feet away.

Each team tallied single runs in the 4th and 5th innings, as Lewis & Clark scored its fourth inning run via an error.

Corban rallied back and tied the game once again thanks to a double down the left field line by senior Jeremy Frantz that scored freshman Josh Warner from second base.

With the game tied for the second time, the host Pioneers gained a 1-run advantage in the 5th inning when Lewis & Clark's Jordan Shibata scored on a wild pitch by Corban sophomore reliever Brandon Wolters.

Following a scoreless sixth inning by the Warriors, Lewis & Clark tacked on another single run in the 6th inning via a single through the left side by the Pioneers' T.J. Witkowski that scored Giardina from third.

In the 7th inning, Corban put three runs up on the board (all unearned) when Spicer reached on an error by the Pioneer's third baseman that allowed Warner to score from third.

Timmerman then registered his second RBI of the night via a triple that scored Spicer from first before Timmerman scored when junior Doug Gausepohl reached on another error by Lewis & Clark's third baseman.

Unfortunately for Corban, its 1-run lead would not hold up very long as the host Pioneers knotted the game at 8-all with a single run in the bottom of the 7th inning.

Lewis & Clark's Joey Rios hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Corey Lowell from third and made the score board read 8-8.

Corban had four batters come to the plate in the 8th inning with neither player crossing the plate, while Lewis & Clark sent five batters to the plate with Shibata coming the closest to scoring only to be thrown out at the plate by Heil from his short stop position en route to ending an threat that the Pioneers had in their half of the inning.

In the ninth inning, the visiting Warriors had a runner on third with two outs only to have the threat ended when junior Darren Johnson lined out to the short stop to end the inning.

Lewis & Clark opened its half of the 9th inning with runners safely reaching base via a walk, an error, and an intentional walk that loaded the bases with no outs.

The Pioneers' Michael Orr popped out to shallow right field, which forced Corban's first-year head coach Nate Mayben to play his middle infielders at double play depth in hopes of get the inning-ending twin-killing that would force the game into extra frames.

Unfortunately, the Pioneers got the better end of the deal with Witkowski dribbled a soft liner towards the short stop which did not allow the double play to be turned in time and handed Lewis & Clark the narrow 9-8 victory.

Along with Timmerman, McGraw went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI and Johnson turned in a 2-for-4 performance with a run scored.

Senior reliever Scott Fitchett was handed the tough loss, as the 6-foot-3 right-hander went 2.2 innings of relief, allowing 1 unearned run on one hit.

Giardina went a perfect 1-for-1 with a home run, a pair of RBIs, and three runs scored for Lewis & Clark, while Shibata was 2-for-4 with a run scored for the host Pioneers.

Corban falls to 4-9-1 overall on the season, while Lewis & Clark improves to 6-4 overall.

The Warriors will return to the field on Friday, March 9th, when they host fellow NAIA Region I member and nationally-ranked British Columbia beginning at 1:00 PM on Warrior Field.

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