Corvallis gets spanked in Spokane. RiverHawks sweep Knights.
June 29, 2007
The Knights extended road trip ended with a thud as the Spokane RiverHawks swept Friday's doubleheader 7-3, 5-1 at Patterson Baseball Complex.
Corvallis dropped to 13-8 overall and 9-6 in league as the Knights were swept at Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field.
The Knights finished its first WCCBL road swing with a losing record (4-5) after sweeping East division leading Moses Lake to open the 8-day, 9-game trip.
Poor pitching, poor defense and a rash of injuries turned a promising trip into a struggle. With the doubleheader loss, the Knights finished its first league trip with four straight losses and dropped Corvallis into second place in the WCCBL's West division.
Friday's first game started famously. Corvallis took a 2-0 lead on first-inning RBI doubles by Kyle Cruikshank of Golden West College and Matt Wyckoff of George Fox University. But things turned for the worse when starter Kevin Castner of Cal Poly was removed from the game in the bottom of the second with a back injury.
Reliever Michael Cusick from Western Oregon was touched up for 4 runs in the third. Bryan Horst of UC Riverside delivered the big hit with a bases clearing triple.
The Knights lost its leading hitter, Jake Roy of Dakota Wesleyan, in the fourth inning on a diving play in leftfield. He missed game two with a calf injury, but is expected to be back for the Knights next WCCBL home series starting July 3 vs. Moses Lake at Goss Stadium.
After a shaky first inning, Spokane starter Kraig Sitton (pictured) of Oregon State pitched a solid 5 innings to earn the 7-3 win.
Corvallis centerfielder Braden Wells of OSU was ejected in the fifth inning for arguing balls and strikes. He served a league suspension in game two as a result of the ejection.
Brett Brunner of Pacific Lutheran University made his first appearance in over a week. He relieved Cusick and tossed two innings allowing a run. He was nursing a sore arm.
Oregon State's Blake Keitzman made his Knights debut. The frosh from Roseburg, Oregon twirled a scoreless sixth inning and struckout two RiverHawks.
The Knights continued to play tired in game two. Spokane took advantage of shoddy outfield play to score 3 of its 5 runs as the RiverHawks scored two on a misplayed double to leftfield in the second inning by Brian Yardley and a run in the third on a misplayed double to center by Michael Hur of UC Riverside.
UC Riverside players haunted the Knights as Horst and Hur collected RBIs and starter Kevin Dickey threw a six-inning complete game to earn the win. Dickey was in total control as the right-hander threw a 4-hitter while allowing only one run and striking out 4.
The game was called in the bottom of the sixth because of rain with the RiverHawks ahead 5-1. The game was official giving Spokane the doubleheader and home sweep.
Starter Mike Koons of San Diego State took the loss.
Corvallis resumes league play Tuesday, July 3 vs. the East division leading Moses Lake Pirates. July 3 is Fireworks Night presented by Windermere and Samaritan Health Services.
The team gets a much needed day off on Saturday before starting a five-game home stand on Sunday vs. NW Star Academy in a non-league contest. Game time is 5:05 pm.
Corvallis is without the services of pitchers Matt Fitts of Lewis-Clark State College, Jerad Thompson of Mt. Hood CC, Bryant Hollingsworth of Riverside CC and Kevin Castner because of an assortment of ailments. Each pitcher is day-to-day. Coach Dorey hopes to get all four pitchers back next week.
