Frank's gem gives Knights series lead. Corvallis beats Cowlitz 3-1 in game one.

Trevor Frank (pictured) twirled a 2-hit masterpiece and the Knights moved to within one game of the WCL Championship Series by winning the West Division playoff opener.

Frank struck out six, walked one, and retired the last 10 hitters, and 21 of the final 23 overall. He threw 72 strikes in 99 pitches and faced just three batters over the minimum in a game that lasted only 1:57, the Knights� quickest game of the summer.

"It's been a long time since I�ve pitched playoff baseball and I just wanted to go out and get a win," said Frank, a rising senior at UC Riverside. "It helped that I pitched against them before," in an 8-2 win on Aug. 2 in his most recent start. "I knew I needed to throw my off-speed pitches and get my fastball in there."

Frank is 2-0 in his last three starts and has given up just two earned runs in his 22.2 innings over that span, an 0.79 ERA. Cowlitz�s lone run on Saturday was unearned.

The Knights had several pitchers warming up in the bullpen in the ninth but there was no question Frank was going to finish the game if he stayed out of trouble.

"I felt strong the whole way. Getting game one on the road is huge," He said. "You have the next two games at home; if you don't win the first one, you get another one. It�s not like we�re behind, it�s nice to get the first one."

Game 2 is set for 6:05 p.m. Sunday at Goss Stadium; Game 3 (if necessary) will be at 6:40 p.m. Monday. Sunday's scheduled starters are WCL ERA champion Rob Dittrick (4-1, 1.10) for the Knights and Mikey Murray (4-4, 3.15) for the Black Bears.

The Goss Stadium ticket booth opens at 5:30 p.m. Reserved seats are $11, general admission seats are $5, and punchcards are valid.

The Knights (38-22) can advance to the WCL Championship Series for the fifth time in the past six summers with one more win over the Black Bears, who are making their first appearance in the playoffs. Corvallis won the title in 2008 and 2011, and lost in the finals in 2007 and 2009.

The Knights started quickly at Cowlitz on Saturday, with two runs in the first inning. A two-out RBI single by Caleb Whalen of Portland scored the first run and the second scored on an infield error. A two-out single by Cal Poly's Nick Torres in the third inning drove in the Knights� third and final run.

Second-seeded Bellingham edged top-seeded Wenatchee 1-0 in Bellingham on Saturday in Game 1 of the East Division finals. They play tonight and on Monday (if necessary) in Wenatchee.

The West Division playoff victor faces the East Division champ in the WCL Championship Series, which starts Aug. 15 in the West. Aug. 16 is a travel day; Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) are Aug. 17 and 18 in the East.

All the playoff series are best-of-3.