Knights top Heat, Rockets in doubleheader.
June 30, 2016
Outfielder Cody Hawken (pictured) homered, singled and drove in four runs on Thursday to lead Corvallis to an 11-0 victory over the Perth Heat Colts in the opener of a nonleague twin bill.
Grant Goodman struck out nine and allowed one run in five innings in a 3-1 victory over the Mid-Valley Rockets in the nightcap for the sweep.
A rising sophomore at the University of Portland from Vancouver, Wash., Hawken singled home the game's first run in the fourth. In the fifth, he crushed a towering 3-run homer over the left-field fence to give the Knights a 7-0 lead, capping a 6-run rally.
DH Andrew Reichenbach (George Fox) singled twice, doubled, scored twice and drove in a run. Shortstop Scott Ogrin (Cal Poly in 2017) and left fielder Nick Kahle (Washington in 2017) added two hits, a run and an RBI.
Kahle and Reichenbach also doubled. The Knights had five extra-base hits, including a two-run double by Zak Taylor (Oregon State) and an RBI triple by Taylor Travess (Mt. Hood).
Starter Cody Hoff (Linn-Benton) allowed one hit and struck out five in four innings to get the win in the seven-inning game. Reliever Cameron Richman (Portland) went three scoreless frames for the save.
In the nightcap, Goodman fanned the first five hitters he faced and allowed one unearned run and one hit in his five-inning stint. Chris Burkholder (Dartmouth) finished up for a two-inning save.
The Knights scored all their runs in the fifth inning. After loading the bases with no outs on two walks and a single, a sacrifice fly by Michael Farris (UC Riverside) tied the game. The go-ahead and insurance runs then crossed on an error and a wild pitch.
Burkholder escaped a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the sixth and then set the Rockets down in order in the seventh.
No one for the Knights had more than one hit. Cameron Bishop (UC Irvine) had a double for their lone extra-base knock.
The Knights (17-8 all) improved to 4-0 in nonleague games and to 4-1 on their current homestand, which concludes this weekend with two more non-league games against two Oregon Collegiate Baseball League opponents.
The Knights host the Polk County Growlers at 6:40 p.m. Friday; Jacob Fricke of Western Oregon is their projected starter. They entertain the Willamette Valley Brewers at 7:15 p.m. Saturday in their annual Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night game.
