Lalli, Knights shut down Polk County Growlers, 8-2.

Thomas Lalli pitched four innings of three-hit relief on Friday and Corvallis remained unbeaten in nonleague play with an 8-2 win over the Polk Country Growlers.

A lefty who pitched at Occidental College in 2013 before leaving on a church mission, Lalli retired the first nine Growlers he faced in order after entering in the fourth inning. He finished with three strikeouts and got eight ground-ball outs.

The Knights (18-8 all) improved to 5-0 in nonleague games and to 6-1 on their current homestand, which ends with Saturday's Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night encounter with the Willamette Valley Brewers. The Brewers and Growlers play in the junior college-oriented Oregon Collegiate Baseball League.

Every starter except one had at least one hit for the Knights, who hit three doubles in the first inning and five extra-base hits overall. The lone Knight without a base hit, third baseman Michael Farris (UC Riverside), drove in two runs.

Right fielder Taylor Travess (Mt. Hood) and shortstop Andy Atwood (Oregon State) each tripled, singled and scored. Outfielders Emilio Alcantar (Lewis-Clark State) and Kyle Nobach (OSU) each doubled, singled, scored and drove in a run.

First baseman Roman Garcia (San Diego), DH Cameron Bishop (UC Irvine) and catcher Nick Kahle (Washington in 2017) added two hits apiece. Kahle scored twice and reached base in four of his five at-bats.

Starter Jacob Fricke (Western Oregon) allowed one run and had three strikeouts in three innings. Tanner Howell (Dixie State) and Chase Kaplan (Kansas in 2017) closed with one scoreless inning apiece.

Saturday's game with the Brewers starts at 7:15 p.m. Tickets are still available.