Knights' offense breaks out in 8-3 win over Kitsap.

Lefty Dylan Stuart (pictured) of UC Riverside allowed five hits and one run in six innings, his longest stint of the summer, for his first win in the 8-3 triumph. He lowered his ERA from 6.00 to 3.00.

"I feel really good," said Stuart, a 2011 West Coast League all-star with the Knights who threw a team-high 99 innings and three complete games for the Highlanders this spring in his first year as a college starter.

"I've been working hard, running and staying in shape. I could have gone longer but I'm on a pitch count," and was relieved after six innings and 61 pitches, 45 of which were strikes.

Stuart had only three strikeouts but involved his teammates by getting seven outs via ground balls and two more via pickoffs, at first and second base.

"I tried to keep the defense in the game, pound the zone and keep our defense on their toes," he said. "I try to get outs early and to be effective."

Held to one run and seven hits in a 2-1 loss on Saturday night, the Knights knocked out nine hits off three pitchers to gain no worse than a split of the four-game series. Corvallis has lost consecutive games just twice this season, when it was swept at Wenatchee on June 8-10.

"It's really everything for pitcher to do well on a night like tonight and get the momentum back," Stuart said. "Now we have the momentum back going into Monday," and the series finale.

The Knights (19-6 overall, 18-6 WCL) broke out of an offensive slump with eight runs in their final three at-bats. They had not scored more than three runs in their last six WCL games, dating back to an 11-5 win at Cowlitz on June 19.

Corvallis increased its West Division lead over second-place Bend to 7.5 games with its 13th win in its last 15 WCL games, and its 14th in 16 overall. The Elks were idle Sunday.

The Knights were no-hit through five innings by Nolan Amundson but they scored three in the sixth to give Stuart the win. Chris Rabago's (UC Irvine) leadoff double, their initial hit, ignite the rally; Connor Hofmann (Oregon), Greg Mahle (UC Santa Barbara) and Nick Torres (Cal Poly) each drove in a run.

Nate Blackham of Washington State had a big two-run single in the seventh for a 5-2 lead. Cal Poly's Alex Michaels had two-run single in the eighth to give Corvallis plenty of breathing room with a 7-3 advantage.

Hofmann doubled, singled and scored; Blackham had two singles and two RBIs; Michaels had two RBIs and Nate Esposito (Oregon State) added an RBI single in their lone at-bat.

The series concludes at 7:15 p.m. Monday with our annual OSU Federal Credit Union Fireworks Night. Oregon State freshman lefty Carlos Rodriguez (1-0, 5.40 WCL, 1-0, 3.80 overall) is the Knights' scheduled starter.

Corvallis opens a three-game series at Bellingham on Tuesday, and plays a single game at Kelowna on Friday and a doubleheader there on Saturday to conclude a stretch of 13 games in 12 days.

The Knights' next home game is July 9 against Wenatchee.