Knights drop series finale to Wenatchee 5-4.

Jackson Soto (pictured) smacked a two-run double in a three-run eighth inning but a Corvallis rally fell just short in a 5-4 loss to Wenatchee on Sunday.

A West Albany graduate who will play at Oregon State next season, Soto's bases-loaded line drive eluded right fielder Cooper Elliott and scored two to bring the Knights within 5-3. Dalton Kelly's sacrifice fly to deep center made it 5-4 but the Knights could get no closer.

Wenatchee (13-8) thus won its second consecutive series against the Knights (13-10 all, 11-10 WCL), who fell into third place in the West Coast League's South Division behind Medford and Bend.

Corvallis fell behind 5-0 and was held hitless for the first six innings by Oregon State signee Drew Rasmussen. Marc Gallegos broke up the no-no with an infield single leading off the seventh; he eventually scored following two walks and hit batsman to put the Knights on the board.

In the eighth, singles by Dane Lund and Joe Duffin and a walk off reliever Nathan Hadley loaded the bases for Soto and his aforementioned two-run double. It was the only extra-base hit for the Knights, whose other three hits never left the infield.

The Knights went 1-2-3 in the ninth, however, and lost for the fifth time in their last seven league games.

Corvallis opens a three-game series with South Division leader Medford at 6:40 p.m. Monday. Righty Chris Bishop (0-1, 4.23) of Pacific Lutheran is the projected starter for the Knights, opposed by Cypress College righty Nathan Kuchta (1-0, 2.25) for Medford.

Sunday's crowd of 1,006 upped the 2014 attendance to 16,998 in 14 openings, 1,304 behind 2013 through a corresponding number of home dates. The Knights drew a record 43,529 fans last season.