Stuart, Hoover, Trentacosta team up, stymie Sweets.

Pitcher Dylan Stuart's (pictured) transition from reliever to starter took another step forward on Thursday night as the Corvallis Knights defeated Walla Walla 3-1 at Goss Stadium.

A crowd of 1,329 saw the Knights (9-7, 8-7 WCL) snap a two-game losing streak in an efficient 2:03. Walla Walla (5-8) lost its fourth straight league game.

A freshman left-hander from UC Riverside, Stuart threw 6.2 innings of five-hit ball in his second start and earned his first victory. He struck out three, walked one, and the Sweets' run was unearned.

Stuart made 18 relief appearances this spring and was 1-1 with a 1.72 ERA in 31.1 innings, with 28 strikeouts. He was named the Big West Conference Freshman Pitcher of the Year.

But three-fourths of UC Riverside�s rotation (former Knights Matt Andriese, Eddie Orozco and Dustin Emmons) either graduated or turned pro this spring. So the plan is for Stuart to fill one of those starting spots in 2012.

This summer is his on-the-job training for that new role. He went four innings against Bellingham on June 17, gave up an unearned run and had a no-decision in his first start.

"It was easier than I thought adjusting, because I used to be a starter in high school," at Riverside Poly in his hometown of Riverside, Calif., he said. "(Relieving) is a totally different atmosphere, usually going in with pressure on you."

Stuart helped himself immeasurably by picking off Sweets� baserunners in the first and second innings. That was no accident; he had six pickoffs this spring and after that no Sweets' runner strayed very far from the bag.

"I have a couple of different moves," he said. "My go-to move is the one I got the two guys with."

The Sweets led 1-0 early on the unearned run but an RBI single by new Knights� shortstop Trent Oleszczuk tied it 1-1 in the third. The Knights pulled ahead to stay in the fifth on Jimmy Allen's bases-loaded fielder�s choice and David Andriese's RBI groundout.

Nick Hoover relieved after Stuart allowed a one-out single in the seventh and retired all four Sweets he faced. Closer Mark Trentacosta struck out the first two Sweets in the ninth, allowed back-to-back singles, and then fanned Denver Chavez to notch his second save.

Stuart (10.1 innings), Hoover (3.2) and Trentacosta (9.2) have not allowed an earned run, and Trentacosta has 13 strikeouts. They combined for 79 strikes and only 36 balls on Thursday.

The series resumes at 6:40 p.m. Friday. Knights� righty Adam Duke (0-0, 3.00) of Oregon State will make his second start, opposed by Sweets� lefty Kyle Anderson (0-0, 2.70) in his first start of the summer.

It's State Farm Insurance Rally Towel Night. The first 500 fans will receive a free rally towel from local State Farm Insurance agents.