Knights clinch WCL West! Corvallis beats Bend 7-6 at Genna Stadium in 11 innings to set new league wins record with 32.
July 31, 2009
Outfielder DJ Gentile (pictured) of Cal Poly delivered the game-winning single in the 11th.
Gentile's clutch hit was one of 15 hits for the Knights as Corvallis topped Bend 7-6 in a thrilling extra-inning rivalry game.
The Knights led 6-5 going to the bottom of the ninth, but the Elks touched closer Drew Leary of San Diego State for a run to tie the score and send the game into extra frames.
Leary retired the first Elk in the 9th, but Peter Levine of University of San Francisco doubled off the wall in right-center and first baseman Jordan Leyland of UC Irvine followed with a RBI single to center.
That was all Leary would allow as the right-hander from Las Vegas mowed the Elks down in the 10th and 11th to earn the win.
Ace righty Steve Kalush of Santa Clara was roughed up early, but battled to give the Knights five innings and left the game with the Knights up 6-5.
Kalush was replaced by Liam Baron of Linn-Benton CC who held the Elks at bay for three innings. Baron allowed three hits and no runs and struck out 3.
The Knights rallied with clinching intentions on a beautiful night in Bend before 1,453 vocal Elks' fans.
Corvallis charged back with two runs in the third and two more in the fifth to erase an early 5-2 deficit.
Future Oregon State Beavers Taylor Ard and Dylan Jones both collected 3 hits as did shortstop Doug Cherry of University of Washington.
DJ Gentile knocked in the game-winner with two outs in the 11th after Bend chose to intentionally walk Ard for a second time.
Centerfielder Pat Colwell of San Diego State scored the winning run from second base on Gentile's single to right.
Designated hitter Adam Melker of Cal Poly blasted a home run in the second and delivered a RBI single in the 5th-inning. Melker collected two hits and two RBI to continue his hot hitting since reporting late due to a shoulder injury.
With the win, Corvallis improved its overall record to 41-9 and league mark to 32-9.
The victory was the Knights' 32nd league win of the season, a new West Coast League record. The old mark was held by last summer's Knights' championship team that won 31 league games.
Corvallis also clinched a third consecutive WCL West title with the victory.
The Knights will open the WCL West Divisional Series at the second-place WCL West team (Bend is currently in second-place ahead of Bellingham by 4 games) on Tuesday, August 11 and play its first home playoff game at Goss on Wednesday, August 12.
The Knights and the Elks get back after it on Saturday night at Vince Genna Stadium. Game two of the series starts at 6:30 pm.
You can listen to all the Knights games on KEJO 1240 AM. Mike Parker calls the play-by-play.
Knight claim third consecutive West Division title Gazette-Times
