Kaplan keeps Knights in position for winning rally.

Reliever Chase Kaplan (pictured) threw three perfect innings and Corvallis scored three runs in the seventh on Wednesday to edge Cowlitz 3-2 at Goss Stadium.

A rising sophomore at Western Nevada College, Kaplan relieved starter Dakody Clemmer (Central Arizona College) to start the sixth and set all nine batters he faced down in order to keep the Knights in the game. He struck out one and got six ground-ball outs.

Harrison McGhee (Concordia) pitched the ninth and earned his third save. He allowed a two-out base hit but fanned second baseman Hank LoForte � who earlier had doubled and singled � for the final out.

"I had a good warmup in the bullpen, everything felt loose and great," Kaplan said. "The best part was I had some guys behind me making plays.

"I only had one strikeout through three innings and they made all of the plays. Keeping the ball at the knees was really key."

The Knights (25-18 all, 20-18 WCL) ended a three-game losing streak and remained in the thick of the multi-team race for the WCL's wild-card playoff berth.

"It is really important to the club to give us a chance to claim the series," Kaplan said.

Cowlitz starter Cal Nelly had a no-hitter and had faced the minimum of 18 batters through six innings before the Knights erupted for three runs in the seventh without hitting the ball out of the infield.

Emilio Alcantar (Lewis-Clark State in 2015-16) legged out a bunt to start the rally and Jes Staples (Bellarmine) reached on a swinging bunt to put runners on first and second. They both scored when third baseman Casey Henderson threw the ball into right field on Christian Donahue's (Oregon State) bunt base hit.

Michael Farris (UC Riverside) sacrificed Donahue to third and he scored the go-ahead run on Cole Kreuter's (UC Irvbine) grounder to short. The Knights did not have a hit and were retired in order in the other seven frames.

Clemmer allowed two runs on six hits in five innings, with three strikeouts. Kaplan and McGhee closed it out.

The series concludes at 6:40 p.m. Thursday. Righty Chris Clements (1-2, 2.10) of UC Santa Barbara will start for the Knights, opposed by Stanford lefty Chris Castellanos (2-0, 3.85).

It's a Block 15 Thursday and Barker Uerlings Insurance Reusable Grocery Tote Bag Night. Adults can enjoy discounted Block 15 beverages, and the first 250 fans through the gates get a reusable grocery tote bag, compliments of Barker Uerlings.

The Knights then head to Klamath Falls for a Friday-Sunday series with the Gems at Kiger Stadium.

Wednesday's crowd of 1,359 increased the season attendance to 35,548 in 25 dates. The Knights are 4,557 fans ahead of their 2014 total through a corresponding number of openings.