Duffin returns to lineup, homers in win over Gems.

Designated hitter Joe Duffin (pictured) homered in his first start since July 3 and Corvallis topped Klamath Falls 8-0 on Friday to win their fourth straight West Coast League series.

A junior-to-be who is transferring from Cypress (Calif.) College to Connecticut for the 2015 season, Duffin slammed his fifth homer of the summer over the left-field fence in the first inning in his first at-bat since July 5. He had been sidelined with a wrist injury.

The two-run blast gave the Knights (22-12 all, 20-12 WCL) a 3-0 lead. They never looked back in blanking the Gems (8-21 WCL) for the second game in a row, and remained in first place in the South Division pennant race. Corvallis is 9-2 in its last 11 games.

First baseman Kevin Kline added his team-best sixth homer, a solo shot, and a sacrifice fly to increase his WCL-best RBI total to 33 in 31 games. That's just one fewer than in 2013, when he was fourth in the WCL with 34 RBIs in 53 games.

Jackson Soto, Michael Lucarelli, Scott Quinlan and Tim Rausch added RBIs and Grant Melker had two hits, two steals and a run from the leadoff spot. The Knights have nine homers in five games against the Gems and lead the WCL with 22 round-trippers.

Pitcher Jackson Lockwood won his league-high sixth game with his fourth consecutive quality start. He struck out six, walked two, and lowered his ERA from 2.60 to 2.14.

Merrick Patito, Jake Otness and Stephen White went an inning each to complete the shutout in a quick 2:17. It was the Knights' debut for Otness, a rising senior at Pacific Lutheran who joined the club on Thursday.

The series concludes at 6:40 p.m. Saturday. The starting pitcher for Corvallis is Concordia righty Harrison McGhee (0-2, 5.88), opposed by Grand Canyon right-hander Kyle Detwiler (0-2, 4.42).

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

Friday's crowd of 1,435 upped the 2014 attendance to 27,547 in 22 openings. That�s 675 fewer than in 2013 through a corresponding number of home dates; the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans last summer.