Beatty goes the distance in 8-3 triumph at Kitsap.

Veteran right-hander Max Beatty (pictured) authored Corvallis� first 9-inning complete game of the season and left fielder Dane Lund homered and doubled in the win.

Beatty struck out four, walked none, allowed seven hits and two earned runs and needed just 97 pitches to win his second key start in a row. He was also the victor in a 5-3 decision over Bend on July 19 that kept the Knights atop the West Division standings.

The senior-to-be at Pacifuc Lutheran University is now 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA over 16.2 innings in his last two starts, with only 11 hits and two walks allowed, with eight strikeouts.

The Knights (25-20 WCL, 30-20 overall) showed no after-effects of a trying day of travel as they scored five times in the first three innings to make short work of the last-place BlueJackets (13-35 WCL). Kitsap had been riding high following a 3-1 series win against Bend over the weekend.

The Knights increased their West Division lead to 3.5 games over second-place Cowlitz (21-23 WCL) as the host Black Bears lost 6-3 to Klamath Falls (22-24 WCL) in the finale of their four-game series. Klamath Falls is tied for second, also 3.5 games behind; third-fourth-place Bend (20-23) fell four games back.

The Knights have nine games left; Klamath Falls has eight, Bend and Cowlitz nine each.

First baseman Greg Mahle added three hits and Nate Esposito, Connor Hofmann and Nate Roberts had two apiece. Roberts also drove in two runs as the Knights pounded out 13 hits. After scuffling offensively for much of the summer, they have now scored 18 runs in their last two WCL games.

The bottom third of the order (Lund, Esposito, Hofmann) combined for six hits, six runs and an RBI. Hofmann added four stolen bases and is now 15-for-15 this summer.

The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday; lefty Dylan Stuart of UC Riverside (2-1, 3.04) is the Knights' scheduled starter, opposed by righty Colin Feldtman (3-4, 2.78). The series concludes at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday.

Corvallis then hosts Cowlitz on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights in its final regular-season home series. Friday night is the second $1,000 Kids Dash for Cash night and Saturday is Pioneer Telephone Fireworks Night.