Corvallis takes opening home series, shuts out RiverHawks 6-0 on two hits.

Jared Eskew of Cal Poly SLO (pictured) was masterful in his Knights debut. The southpaw from Bakersfield, California tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-hit ball while striking out 7.

Billy Clontz of Mt. Hood CC got things started for the Knights with a second-inning triple. The Corvallis native scored the only run Eskew would need on Matt Wyckoff's RBI ground out.

Future OSU Beaver Logan Lotti hammered an opposite field homer in the seventh to give Corvallis some cushion and a 2-0 lead. The Knights scored 4 more in the 8th on their way to a 6-0 victory and series win over Spokane.

"It was dire straits yesterday only getting two or three hits and today it was best man wins," Lotti said.

Clontz, who went 2 for 4, led off the second inning by ripping a pitch from AJ Proszek of Gonzaga, sending into a sun drenched leftfield. Spokane's Rob Folsom of OSU lost the ball in the sun as Clontz scampered around the bases to third. Wyckoff of George Fox followed with a groundout to second scoring Clontz.

"I guess I got into that one," said Clontz. "We were looking for the first pitch fastballs and that is the best pitch to hit."

Making his debut for the Knights, lefty Jared Eskew of Cal Poly earned the win, throwing 6 1/3 innings of shutout one-hit ball while striking out seven RiverHawks.

"Jared got here a couple of days ago and he really performed," Knights' head coach Brooke Knight said. "He was around the zone and misses low, which is a good sign. We were pleased, he did a great job."

UNC-Asheville�s Chris Brookey replaced Eskew and retired the four batters he faced.

In the bottom of the seventh, junior to-be Logan Lotti of Oregon State waited for a fastball, runnign the count full, before blasting a homerun off the bottom of the scoreboard in right-center. The homer was Lotti�s first in WCCBL play and his first at Goss Stadium.

"He started me off with a bunch of junk," Lotti said. "He came with a lot of splitty�s as I became more acclimated. He finally came with a fastball and I trusted my hands, got good wood on it."

In the eighth, the Knights sent nine battes to the plate, scoring four runs in the inning. Mt. Hood�s Josh Hogan led things off with a double to left-center and scored on a double to right-center by junior first baseman Kyle Stalker of Willamette.

Pinch-hitter Dean Green of Oklahoma State would score on a single by Clontz. After Stalker scored on a sac fly Wyckoff, Clontz would score for a second time on Doug Cherry's RBI single to right.

The Knights closed out the game with sophomore Jerad Thompson of Mt. Hood CC, who pitched a scoreless ninth and earned his first save. Thompson struck out three giving up a single and a walk in the ninth.

Attendance for Thursday night's rubber game was 457.

Corvallis welcomes the Kelowna Falcons tomorrow night. It's Fireworks Night presented by Hurley Financial. Game time is 7:35 pm. The game will feature the debut of frosh Eddie Orozco of UC Riverside, Friday's probable starter, and be broadcast on KTHH 990AM The Legend. Mike Parker, the voice of the Knights, calls all the action.