Mendoza prolongs Knights' starters shutout streak.

Right-hander Chris Mendoza (pictured) extended the Corvallis Knights starting pitchers' scoreless streak to 40 2/3 consecutive innings in a 9-0 victory over the WCL Portland Ports.

Knights' starters have not allowed a run since the first inning of a 4-3 loss to Bend on July 30. Since then, Nick Hoover (2), Jace Fry (6), Chris Johnson (5), Chase Johnson (5), Kyle Hart (7), Max Beatty (5.1), Sebastian Santos (4) and Mendoza (6) have combined to blank the opposition.

A junior-to-be at Santa Clara, Mendoza struck out four, walked two, and spaced five hits to win his second game of the summer. His six-inning stint was twice as long as his previous season high, against Klamath Falls on July 27 and vs. Bend on July 30.

"It felt good I had my commanding fastball and I was throwing my secondary pitches for strikes," Mendoza said. "Fastball most definitely was my go-to pitch."

He has a 1.64 ERA over 11 innings in his last three appearances. Saturday's six scoreless innings dropped his overall ERA from 3.48 to 2.69.

The Knights rudely welcomed former teammate and Ports' starter Tom Zarosinski back to Goss Stadium. Corvallis scored two runs without a hit in the first and added two more in the second on an RBI single by Connor Hofmann and a groundout by Corey Moore.

Moore and Corey Davis knocked in runs to make it 6-0 in the fourth and Corvallis added a single run in the sixth and two more in the eighth. The penultimate run was knocked in by pitcher Mitch Patito, and he then scored from first on Ryan Gorton�s double.

Shortstop Jimmy Allen had three hits, two runs and an RBI to lead a 13-hit attack. Hofmann tripled and singled and Gorton doubled and singled; each added an RBI.

The Knights (39-16, 35-16 WCL) swept their non-conference weekend series with the Dukes and Ports of the affiliate WCL Portland league and stretched their winning streak to seven in a row. The WCL West champions have won 13 of 14 and 23 of their last 27.

Corvallis hosts Cowlitz on Monday and Tuesday and then goes to Cowlitz on Wednesday to complete the WCL regular season. Bend and Cowlitz are essentially tied for second place as they battle for the remaining West Division playoff berth; Bend has one game remaining, Cowlitz four.

The Knights will travel to either Bend or Cowlitz on Friday, August 12 for Game 1 of the West Divisional Series. Games 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) will be at Goss Stadium on August 13 and 14.