Knights take pair from Kelowna, stay in first place.
August 4, 2013
Jorge Perez (pictured) stymied Kelowna on two hits over five innings in an 11-0 win in Game 2 on Sunday to give the Knights a doubleheader and series sweep.
Corvallis (35-17 all, 31-17 WCL) also won the opener 7-6. The Knights stretched their South Division lead to a full game over Bend, which won at Bellingham on Sunday. The Knights and Elks open a key three-game series at Goss Stadium on Monday night.
Making his first start of the summer, Perez struck out four and did not allow a runner to third base in an efficient performance. He threw 39 strikes in 56 pitches.
Perez started the summer as the closer and had six saves in 10 appearances. On a restricted pitch count after throwing 107 innings while helping lead Grand Canyon University to the Division II World Series, he was turned loose on Sunday.
First baseman Kevin Kline of Dixie State College hit a two-run homer in the first and a two-run double in the second to drive in four runs and jumpstart the offense. Corvallis had eight hits and all went for extra bases; they had six doubles and two homers, the second by Gabe Clark of OSU.
In the opener, Jacob Schroder spaced 10 hits and survived a rocky finish to improve to 4-0 with a complete-game performance, enabling the Knights to win the series.
The Falcons drew within 7-6 on a three-run homer by Jarryd Klemm. Schroeder put the tying run on with a walk with two outs, but he got the final out on a comebacker.
"I could have been better, I wasn't sharp today," he said. "I should have varied my 0-2, 1-2 pitches, and done a better job of getting ahead."
Schroeder struck out two and got 15 outs via ground balls. He's now pitched 42.2 innings this summer, after getting only 9.2 in seven appearances at Washington State as a freshman, mostly in mop-up opportunities.
"I came (to Corvallis) to be a starter," he said. "I wanted to work on my slider and my off-speed pitches. (I've) gotten better; instead of going one inning I'm going seven or eight innings."
Cody Lenahan singled home a run in the first, singled home two runs in the second and walked with the bases loaded in the third to compile his four RBIs. He and Blake Drake, who also scored twice, were the only Knights with two hits.
Lefty Andrew Naderer (2-1, 2.13) is the Knights' projected starter against Bend on Monday, opposed by righty Taylor Elman (4-1, 3.06).
