Knights drop first WCCBL series. Falcons top Corvallis 2-0 at Goss.

Aussie southpaw Liam Baron of Linn-Benton CC was the hard luck loser. Despite a strong outing from Baron, the Knights were unable to score and lost the series rubber game 2-0 to the surging Kelowna Falcons (6-3).

The frosh from Perth threw 6 1/3 innings and surrendered only two runs (one earned) while striking out three.

The Falcons got on the board in the top of the second when Riley Henricks of University of Portland walked with two outs. Henricks stole secand and scored easily on a double down the leftfield line by University of Northern Colorado's Phil Santucci.

Baron sat Kelowna down in order for the next three innings before he was touched for a run in the sixth. Nick Freitas of Southern Utah led off the sixth with a triple and it looked like Baron might wiggle out of the inning after getting a ground out, but a routine one-out grounder by Oregon State's Stephen Hagen was mishandled by Knights' shortstop Richie Jimenez allowing Freitas to score putting the Falcons on top 2-0.

Corvallis threatened in the bottom of the sixth when junior Alex Burg of Washington State led off the inning with a walk. After Burg was erased on a fielder's choice ground out by Sierra College's Logan Lotti, Billy Clontz of Mt. Hood CC hammered a double high off the leftfield wall moving Lotti to third.

With one out, frosh first baseman Dean Green of Oklahoma State tapped back to the mound.

Starting pitcher Bryn Card of University of Utah fielded the tapper and caught Lotti coming home.

Card then started a bizarre rundown between third and home that ended in a doubleplay in which catcher Daniel Pellegrino of UC Riverside recored both putouts.

The twin-killing ended with Logan sliding safely back into third while Clontz advanced to third from second only to be tagged out when he left the bag for the inning's second out. Lotti then inexplicably stepped off the bag and was tagged out for the final out of the inning, ending the Knights rally.

"It was one of those deals Logan had a read to make and got caught up," Knights' head coach Knight said. "He did a great job getting back to the base, but needs to stay on the bag. Billy did a great job getting to third and he needs to bust back. It was the right call and that is just the way it goes."

Neither team was able to muster any late-inning offense as Kyle Thompson of Stanford retired the Knights in order in the ninth to earn the save.

Card tossed 8 masterful innings keeping Corvallis off balance all evening to earn his league leading third win of the young WCCBL season.

Card, a former OSU pitcher from Klamath Falls, is 3-0 with a 0.39 ERA after three starts.

Junior-to be pitcher Geoff Nichols of University of Oregon turned in another solid relief performance for the Knights. The right-hander from Portland, Oregon replaced Baron and threw the game's final 2 2/3 innings. Nichols struck out three of the eight batters he faced, hitting one while allowing no runs.

"Our pitchers are pitching very well," Knight said. "You have to score runs to win. We have to give them some support. It is more fun for a pitcher to be throwing with a lead. Hopefully we can get the bats going on the road."

Sunday's game drew 611 fans. Total attendance for the club's first homestand was 3,789.

Corvallis gets right back after things Monday night at Spokane. The Knights are starting junior right-hander Ryan Platt of UC Riverside in game one of its series with the RiverHawks. He's likely to face the Hawks' staff ace Kraig Sitton of Oregon State.

Game time is 6:35 pm at Avista Stadium.

You can listen to the entire series on 990 AM The Legend. Mike Parker, the voice of the Knights, calls all the action.

The Knights' first extended road trip wraps with a three-game series vs. the defending WCCBL champion Moses Lake Pirates at Larson Field June 26-28.

Corvallis still leads the West with a 6-3 record followed by Bend at 5-4, Bellingham at 4-5 and Kitsap at 3-6.