Melker has three hits in 5-3 loss to Yakima Valley.

Left fielder Grant Melker (pictured) had his second straight three-hit game but the Knights fell 5-3 to Yakima Valley on Wednesday in their West Coast League home opener.

Melker doubled, singled twice and walked to reach base safely in all four at-bats. He also had three hits at Bend on Sunday night and now leads the WCL in hitting with a .583 (7-12) average.

"I felt comfortable; I was just trying to get some good swings on the ball," said Melker, a rising senior at the University of San Diego and a returnee from the 2013 WCL championship team.

"I'm taking quality swings, not giving away at-bats bats and not swinging at pitcher's pitches, and I'm saying within myself. They have a good team, and it's a long season. We'll be back out there grinding away tomorrow."

It was the first game ever between the Knights (2-3, 1-3 WCL), the defending WCL champions, and the Pippins (2-2 WCL), the league's newest expansion franchise.

Yakima Valley scored twice in the sixth to erase a 4-3 deficit and added an insurance run in the seventh. Reed Garrett, the reigning WCL Pitcher of the Week, went seven innings for his second win and Eli Morgan went the final two for the save.

The visitors led 1-0 after one-half inning but a bases-loaded fielder's choice by new addition Chris Shaw of Midland (Texas) CC tied the game. A 14th-round pick of the St. Louis Cardinals in the recent MLB draft, Shaw joined the team on Tuesday.

The Pippins went back ahead 2-1 in the second but the Knights again pulled even in the home half on a RBI groundout by center fielder Tim Rausch of Western Oregon. Michael Lucarelli's (Portland) booming double in the fourth scored Jackson Soto (West Albany HS) from first to send the Knights ahead 3-2, a lead they could not protect.

Corvallis starter Chris Bishop of Pacific Lutheran allowed two earned runs in 5.1 innings and was not involved in the decision. He struck out three and walked two.

The series resumes at 6:40 p.m. Thursday. Harrison McGhee (0-1, 4:15) of Concordia is the projected starter for the Knights; Yakima's probable is Andrew Woods (0-1, 1.50), a teammate of Garrett's at VMI. The series concludes at 6:40 p.m. Friday.

Wednesday's crowd of 1,121 increased the season total to 3,606 in two home dates. That�s 338 more than in 2013 through a corresponding number of openings.