A.J. Burke quiets Gems, Knights capture home opener 7-1.

A junior reliever from Western Oregon, Burke (pictured) stymied Klamath Falls on three hits over six shutout innings. He struck out five and did not issue a walk.

"I give a lot of credit to catcher (Austin Barr) for calling a good game," said Burke, who saved the Knights' season-opening win at Walla Walla on June 1 in his only other appearance this season. "He was calling pitches they weren't expecting.

"I was throwing my changeup well and keeping hitters off-balance."

Burke was a reliever at WOU this spring but was a starter for two seasons at Linn-Benton, so he wasn't unfamiliar with a different role.

"It was nice to get the start and extend myself," he said. "My goal for my next game is to throw more strikes earlier in the count."

A Goss Stadoum crowd of 913 saw the Knights win their home opener and improve to 3-1 in the West Coast League. They are in second place in the West Division, one-half game behind Kitsap.

The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the second on a double by Barr and Beau Fraser's RBI single. They extended it to 3-0 in the fifth on a two-out, two-run, bases-loaded single by Tristan Metcalf.

Corvallis salted the game away for good in the sixth. Three straight walks loaded the bases; one run scored on a wild pitch and an infield single by Marc Gallegos drove in another run to make it 5-0. Caleb Whalen capped the rally with a two-run single.

Reliever Alex Keenan of George Fox pitched a scoreless seventh and Kendall Motes of Mt. Hood finished up with three strikeouts over the final two innings. Gallegos singled, scored twice, walked twice, stole three bases, was hit by a pitch and reached safely in all five of his at-bats from the leadoff spot in the order.

The brief series concludes at 11 a.m. Wednesday on Science and Arts Day. More than 1,500 local elementary-school students are expected to attend.