Knights win WCL opener 6-5 in 11 innings before a crowd of 760 at Goss Stadium.
June 9, 2009
Taylor Ard delivered a game-winning walk-off RBI single and Billy Clontz (pictured) collected two hits and 3 RBI. The frosh from Mt. Hood CC tied the game in the bottom of the ninth with his first hit as a Knight, a clutch game-tying single to left.
For the second straight season, the Corvallis Knights opened their home season with an extra innings win as the Knights topped the Bend Elks 6-5 in 11 innings.
Third baseman Taylor Ard was the hero for the Knights after a slow start, beginning the game 0-for-4, Ard drove in a run in the ninth to tie the game at 5-5, and came up big again in the bottom of the 11th delivering a walk-off single scoring Dylan Jones of Mt. Hood CC with the game winner.
Early in the game it was all Bend, as the Elks took an early 5-0 lead. After starter Kyle Kraus of Portland surrendered two runs in the first, Bend jumped on Corvallis to score three unearned runs in the top of the third.
The Knights' offense scratched their way back in the third when with runners on second and third Western Oregon's Billy Clontz hit a ball in no man's land between the pitcher and second baseman. With Bend second baseman Ryan Dunn unable to make a play, San Diego State's Pat Colwell and Taylor Hunter of George Fox crossed the plate pulling the Knights within three.
The Knights made it 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh when pinch-runner Dan Winterstein of George Fox stole third base and then scored when Elks' releiver Greg Gelber entered the game and immediately was called for a balk allowing Winterstein to score from third run.
Down two runs entering the bottom of the ninth, Hunter and Colwell reached base on a walk and hit batter. With one out, Dylan Jones grounded into what looked like a game-ending double play, but Jones beat out the throw to first bringing Clontz to the plate. The four-year Knight delivered a run-scoring single to center to bring the Knights within a run.
With Jones at second and Clontz at first, Ard delivered an RBI single to left tying the game up at five.
After a scoreless tenth, Corvallis ended the league opener for both teams in the eleventh. Jones walked to lead things off. Head coach Brooke Knight then asked Clontz to advance the runner with a bunt, Billy did that beautifully and Elks' catcher catcher Taylor Stiles fielded and threw the bunt into centerfield allowing both Jones and Clontz to advance a base. Then Ard delivered the game-winner to center.
Kraus opened the season with a seven-inning performance, striking out two and surrendering only two earned runs. Reliever Ross Pomerantz of Occidental College threw a scoreless 8th-inning striking out two. Chad Jones of George Fox tossed 2 1/3 innings of scoreless ball before running into trouble in the eleventh. Soph Nick Opitz of Mt. Hood CC relived Jones and pitched out a jam to pick up his first league victory as a Corvallis Knight.
At the plate, Clontz was shined going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Hunter went 1-for-2 with two runs scored in his Knights' debut.
Knights survive in the 11th inning by Brooks Hatch of the Gazette-Times
