Knights Capture WCL Crown.
August 20, 2011Corvallis Sweeps Walla Walla in WCL Championship Series
The Corvallis Knights captured their second West Coast League title this past week by sweeping the Walla Walla Sweets in two games. The Knights won the clincher 11-4 on Thursday, August 18 before a playoff-game record crowd of 1,646 at Goss Stadium.
Three-year Knight reliever Nick Hoover of UC Irvine picked up the win while three-year Knight pitcher Eric Young of Delaware (pictured, far left, with Hoover) finished the finale tossing a scoreless ninth.
Corvallis advanced to the WCL Championship Series by beating Bend 2 games to 1. The Knights won game one of the finals 14-3 at Walla Walla as Corvallis collected 18 hits at Borleske Stadium.
Catcher Ryan Gorton of Oregon State and outfielder Kramer Scott of University of Portland, both seniors-to-be, led the Knights' offense. Gorton homered in both games and went 5-for-8 while driving in 7 runs. Ryan delivered the game-winning hit in the clincher smashing a three-run homer to put Corvallis up 3-2 in the first inning. Scott also homered in the clincher and went 5-for-8 with a double and 3 RBIs. Kramer drove in a run in all five Knights' playoff games and collected 7 RBIs in the post-season.
The Knights scored 25 runs and banged out 33 hits vs. Walla Walla, both West Coast League Championship Series records.
Corvallis played excellent defense only committing one error while the Sweets committed 8 errors during the series.
Since the team moved to Corvallis, the Knights have appeared in four WCL Championship Series, losing to Moses Lake in 2007 and Wenatchee in 2009, and winning vs. Wenatchee in 2008 and Walla Walla in 2011. All four WCL Championship Series the Knights have appeared in have been sweeps.
Corvallis has never swept a WCL West Divisional Series, winning four of five Divisional Series 2 games to 1, beating Kitsap in 2007 and Bend in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
The Knights have won the WCL West title for five consecutive years and were only beat once in the WCL West Divisional Series, getting swept by Bend last summer.
Corvallis finished the season with a 37-17 regular season record, 45-18 overall mark and won its final 11 WCL series. The 45 wins are the third most in franchise history.
In 2008, the Knights won its first WCL crown, and the finale was also on August 18 at Goss Stadium. Corvallis swept Wenatchee and won the clincher 4-1. Starting pitcher Josh Osich of OSU earned the win and closer Taylor Starr of OSU recorded the save. Shortstop Richie Jimenez caught the final out on a pop out. And first baseman Dean Green of Oklahoma State homered. Fast forward to 2011, and center fielder Connor Hofmann of Oregon caught the final out and Ryan Gorton of OSU, Jimmy Allen of Cal Poly and Kramer Scott of University of Portland homered.
The Knights regular season team ERA of 2.47 was tops in the West Coast League. Max Beatty of PLU led the team in wins with 6 while Dylan Stuart of UC Riverside posted a club low ERA of 1.34 and closer Mark Trentacosta of UC Irvine led the Knights in saves with 11.
Catcher Corey Davis of Wright State, a two-year Knight, led the team in hitting with a .331 batting average. Another returnee, outfielder David Andriese of UC Riverside led the club in homers with 3. First baseman Sean Myrom of Concordia led the Knights in doubles with 14 and outfielder Matt Nylen of Mt. Hood CC led the team in stolen bases with 17. Utility man Ryan Gorton of OSU and first baseman David Armendariz of Cal Poly tied for the Knights lead in RBI with 28.
Attendance at Goss Stadium this summer was up, as the Knights set new single-season total attendance and per game records. Corvallis drew 42,447 for the season for an average of 1,286 per game.
Knights dismantle Walla Walla to win WCL title - by Kevin Hampton, Gazette-Times
The Knights' Night - blog and videos by Graham Kislingbury, Gazette-Times
