Corvallis beats Pirates 4-3 in 12 innings to sweep series.

Mitch Haniger (pictured) of Cal Poly hit a two-run homer in the 9th to force extra innings.

Haniger went 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBI.

"I missed the one before when I flew out to the warning track so it feels good to get one," said Haniger.

"It was a two-two count and I just missed the slider pitch before and I had a feeling he was going to throw a fast ball. So, he threw a fast ball inside and I just squared it up pretty good.

"No one is cashing out and everybody is just giving their best and not taking pitches off."

Starter Nick Hoover of UC Irvine tossed 6 innings and allowed three unearned runs.

The Knights' defense struggled early, but shortstop Matt Duffy of Long Beach State saved Corvallis in the 12th with a diving stop of an infield single that would have scored the go ahead run for the Pirates. The next batter grounded into an inning-ending double play started by Duffy.

In the bottom half of the frame, much to the delight of the Goss crowd of 1,051, the Knights plated the winning run on a wild pitch.

Infielder Jake Rodriguez, a frosh-to-be at OSU, led off the 12th with a bunt single and advanced to second on a wild throw. Bo Altobelli followed with a perfect sac bunt that was thrown high by the Pirates' pitcher to put runners on first and second. After Duffy struck out, Dylan Jones of Oregon State came up looking for his second walk-off extra-inning hit of the week, but Moses Lake pitcher Chris Carlson uncorked a wild pitch allowing Rodriguez to score the game winner and give the Knights the sweep.

Corvallis relievers Dean McArdle of Stanford, Mitch Patito of UC Riverside and Alex St. Pierre of Lewis & Clark College kept the Knights in the game tossing scoreless baseball from the seventh inning on.

McArdle tossed two scoreless frames, Patito three and St. Pierre a scoreless 12th.

St. Pierre earned the win.

With the victory and a Bend loss tonight, Corvallis moves within a 1/2 game of the first place Elks, extends its win streak to 6 and improves its WCL record to 23-14 and overall record to 27-14.

Corvallis is now 19-6 overall in the friendly confines of Goss Stadium.

Total attendance for the season is 23,358 (25 home games) for an average of 934 per game.

The Knights get Sunday off and then travel to Bellingham on July 26 to start an eight-day, eight-game WCL road swing that runs through Bellingham, Kelowna, Wenatchee and Walla Walla.

Monday's game vs. the Bells is slated to start at 6:35 pm.

Corvallis returns home Wednesday, August 4th to play a two-game non-league series vs. the WCL Portland Ports.

All the games on the Knights' final regular season road trip will be broadcast by KEJO 1240 AM, but the station is picking up the feeds from the visiting teams. Mike Parker and Jason Schwartz will be back for the team's final regular season home stand.