McGhee hard-luck loser as Knights fall 3-1 at Cowlitz.

Corvallis squandered an excellent outing by pitcher Harrison McGhee (pictured) and lost 3-1 at Cowlitz on Tuesday night.

A junior-to-be at Concordia, McGhee struck out a season-high six, walked one and allowed just two hits and two earned runs in the opener of a three-game series at David Story Field. The Black Bears scored three times in the seventh, when he could have been out of the inning with no runs allowed.

Instead he was tagged with a tough-luck loss and the Knights (6-5 all, 5-5 WCL) dropped their second game in a row after a four-game winning streak.

The Knights took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Alec Smith of Cal Poly singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Kevin Kline's double. It was Kline's 13th RBI, tying him with Joe Duffin for the team lead.

McGhee brilliantly protected that lead until the seventh, when a single and two infield errors, one on a possible double-play ball, loaded the bases with no outs. He forced in the tying run with a walk, and then was relieved by Brandon Choate of Washington.

A balk and a single scored two more runs, but the Knights minimized the damage as Tim Rausch of Western Oregon and Grant Melker of San Diego each threw a runner out at home.

The Knights got the go-ahead runs aboard in the eighth but Duffin and Jackson Soto each flew out to the warning track. Closer Joe Reta pitched a scoreless ninth for the save, aided by a double play.

The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. on Wednesday. Pacific Lutheran right-hander Derrick Mahlum (1-0, 4.50) is the projected starter for Corvallis.

The Knights' next home games are Friday, Saturday and Sunday against the Kelowna Falcons, coached by former Corvallis player (2006, 2008-09) and assistant (2010-11, 2013) Billy Clontz. Ex-Knights' MVPs Richie Jimenez (2008-09) and Dylan Jones (2009-10) are assistant coaches for the Falcons.