Beatty nearly perfect in 3-2 Knights' win.

Corvallis pitcher Max Beatty of Pacific Lutheran flirted with perfection on Saturday night.

The sophomore from Pacific Lutheran had a perfect game for 6.2 innings, settled for a sterling 3-hit performance over eight innings, and the Knights held on for a 3-2 West Coast League victory over Walla Walla at Borleske Stadium.

A returnee who was 0-0, 3.86 in five appearances for the Knights in 2010, Beatty struck out seven and did not issue a walk in dominating the Sweets as the Knights (1-1) bounced back from an opening-night loss to even their record.

Beatty retired 20 consecutive Sweets (1-1) until Chase Kopacz�s clean single to right field with two outs in the last of the seventh. Austin Heaps followed with a single but Beatty ended the threat on a groundout.

Walla Walla shortstop Alex Stanford hit a solo homer with one out in the eighth. Beatty responded with two strikeouts to end the inning and he was replaced by Eric Young to start the ninth. Beatty threw 68 strikes in 94 pitches.

"It was a great outing my Max," Corvallis coach Brooke Knight said. "He got ahead of the hitters and made them hit his pitches."

Walla Walla scored once and had the bases loaded with one out. But Young got the second out on an infield popper, and second baseman Corey Moore saved the game by throwing out Stanford at first after knocking down a hard shot up the middle.

Sean Myrom had two hits for the Knights. Corvallis scored twice in the third inning on an errant throw by the Sweets' pitcher on a sac bunt attempt by Alex Foulon and on a fielder's choice ground out by Kramer Scott.

The Knights' added their final run in the seventh on Myrom�s double, an infield error and a Moore sacrifice fly.

The series concludes at 6 p.m. Sunday. The projected starters are right-handers Chris Johnson of Portland for the Knights and Trent Allianic of Hawaii for the Sweets.

Corvallis begins its home schedule at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday at Goss Stadium, against Klamath Falls on Opening Night presented by Fidelity National Title. The first 500 fans get Corvallis Knights magnet schedules.