Smith shines as Knights top NCBL All-Stars, 8-1.

Shortstop Alec Smith (pictured) singled twice, doubled and drove in four runs to lead the Knights over the NCBL Portland All-Stars 8-1 on Monday.

The Knights (37-16, 32-16 WCL) tuned up for their big series against Bend with the victory in their final nonleague game of the summer. They open a three-game series with the Elks (28-20 WCL) at 6:40 p.m. Tuesday at Goss Stadium.

Corvallis leads Bend by four games in the South Division pennant race, with six games remaining. The Knights can clinch the title with a win on Tuesday, as they would have a five-game lead and the tiebreaker with five games left.

Right fielder Joe Duffin (Cypress CC/UConn in 2014-15) singled three times, scored once, and then pitched the ninth inning. Center fielder Tim Rausch (Western Oregon) singled twice and drove in two. Catcher Logan Ice (Oregon State) and second baseman Kevin Farley (Portland) each scored twice.

A rising sophomore at Cal Poly, Smith had a two-run single in the second, when the Knights took a 3-0 lead. His two-run double capped a five-run eighth, when Corvallis broke the game open.

Righty Angel Landazuri (3-0, 2.47) of UC Riverside gets the start tomorrow night for the Knights; Bend's starter is TBA.

Monday's crowd of 1,709 raised the season total to 37,062 in 29 openings. That's 519 less than 2013 in a comparable number of home dates; the Knights drew a franchise-record 43,557 fans last summer.