Melker sets table as Knights win 3-2 to sweep Gems.

Leadoff batter Grant Melker (pictured) reached safely four times, singled twice, stole a base and had an RBI as Corvallis stayed hot.

A rising senior at San Diego who was a key cog on the Knights' 2013 West Coast League championship club, Melker hit .556 (5-9) in the series, with three runs, three RBIs, five stolen bases and six walks/hit by pitch. He reached safely in 9 of 14 plate appearances to set the table for the offense.

"I had some quality at-bats and was seeing the ball well," Melker said. "Playing this many games is great to hone our skills."

The Knights (23-12 all, 21-12 WCL) swept the series and won for the 10th time in their last 12 games to remain atop the South Division of the West Coast League by two games over Bend. The Gems (8-22 WCL) lost their seventh game in a row.

"It's always great to get a sweep," Melker said. "We're going to keep it going when we play next week,� when the Knights hit the road for an important Thursday-Saturday series at West Division leader Bellingham.

Angel Landazuri of UC Riverside earned the victory with three scoreless innings of relief. He replaced starter Harrison McGhee of Concordia with runners at the corners with no outs in the sixth with the teams tied 2-2; a pop out and a double play ended that threat. He also stranded Stephen Packard of Oregon at third in the eighth after his two-out triple.

Brandon Choate of Washington allowed two runners on in the ninth but he kept the Gems off the board for his fifth save. He has not allowed a run in 8.1 innings over his last six appearances, lowering his ERA to 1.10.

Corvallis jumped in front 1-0 in the first when Melker singled, took second on Kevin Kline's single and then scored on Joe Duffin's single.

The Gems surged ahead 2-1 in the top of the fourth on a two-run homer by Dennis Morton. It ended their 21-inning scoreless streak in the series; they were shut out in the first two games and had not scored in 27 innings overall before Morton's homer.

Corvallis tied it in the home half on Melker's RBI single. It remained tied until the sixth, when a two-out infield error allowed Tim Rausch of Western Oregon to score from second to put the Knights ahead 3-2.

Second baseman Kevin Farley of Portland singled three times and scored for Corvallis, He and Melker were the only Knights with multiple hits.

The Knights are idle on Sunday and Monday. They host the Northwest Collegiate Baseball League's Portland Ports on Tuesday and NCBL Portland Stars on Wednesday in non-league games.

Saturday's crowd of 1,397 upped the 2014 attendance to 28,944 in 23 openings. That's 323 fewer than in 2013 through a corresponding number of home dates; the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans last summer.