Knights claim 3-2 victory at Cowlitz, capture series 2-1.

Reliever Brandon Choate (pictured) escaped two late jams and Corvallis edged Cowlitz 3-2 on Thursday to win their West Coast League series 2-1.

A senior-to-be at Washington who was all-WCL for the Knights in 2013, Choate stranded the go-ahead run at third base in the eighth. The Knights took the lead in the top of the ninth, and he stranded the potential tying and winning runs at second and first on tyhe home half by ending the game with a strikeout and a pop out.

The Knights (8-5 all, 7-5 WCL) won the final two games of the series to claim their third series win in a row. They are one game behind Medford in the WCL's South Division.

Pinch-hitter Jackson Soto of West Albany High led off the ninth for Corvallis with a single. Chris Shaw followed with another single and Soto scored all the way from first to send the Knights in front 3-2 when the ball eluded the left fielder and rolled to the wall.

A one-out double and a walk put Black Bears on second and first with one out in the last of the ninth before Choate retired the No. 2 and No. 3 hitters in the Cowlitz lineup for his first win.

Corvallis starter Chris Haddeland allowed two runs and six hits before being relieved with a run in and a runner on third with two outs in the last of the eighth. He struck out four and walked one, and got a no-decision.

The Knights spotted Cowlitz an early run but then scored twice in the fifth to surge ahead. Michael Lucarelli reached on an error; Grant Melker tripled him in with two outs and Marc Gallegos followed with a single to score Melker for a 2-1 advantage

Cowlitz tied the game in the eighth on a walk and a one-out triple. Haddeland got the second out with a strikeout before being relieved by Choate. Haddeland threw 68 strikes in 94 pitches in his longest, and most effective, outing of the season.

Click here to listen to play-by-play man Alex Kuhn's highlights.

The Knights open a three-game series with Kelowna at 6:40 p.m. Friday at Goss Stadium. The Falcons are coached by former Knights' player (2006, 2008-09) and assistant (2010-11, 2013) Billy Clontz; his assistants are ex-Corvallis MVPs Richie Jimenez and Dylan Jones.