Nesbitt, bullpen keep Knights close in 3-2 loss to Bells.

Alex Nesbitt (pictured) threw 4 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and three others combined to blank Bellingham over the final seven innings but Corvallis lost 3-2 to the Bells on Thursday.

The Knights mustered just five hits and could not get the big hits needed for a comeback victory. Bellingham thus salvaged the series finale 3-2 before a crowd of 1,301 at Goss Stadium.

The Bells (12-11 WCL) scored three times in the first two innings off starter Andrew Naderer, who entered the game with a 0.64 ERA, and held on. The win snapped their five-game losing streak, and prevented the Knights (15-13 all, 14-13 WCL) from their first series sweep of the summer.

A sophomore-to-be at Washington, Nesbitt appeared in just three games for the Huskies this spring and had thrown just 5.2 innings in three previous appearances with the Knights. He was very sharp on Thursday, however, and allowed just one hit in a season-long stint.

"I felt a lot more comfortable out there," Nesbitt said. "Everything was going well and I got to go a couple innings. It felt good. I could locate, so that's why I could stay out there a little longer."

Devon Barker, Brandon Choate and Jorge Perez followed Nesbitt, shut the Bells down for another 2.2 innings and positioned the Knights for a comeback victory that didn't materialize.

The Knights had chances to tie in the final two innings, but didn't get the clutch hit. They left the bases loaded in the eighth and stranded runners at the corner in the ninth. Six of their eight runners left on were in scoring position.

Bellingham starter Andrew Olson held Corvallis to one hit through five innings and took a 3-0 lead into the sixth. But Joe Duffin led off with his first homer of the year to make it 3-1; Olson was relieved in the seventh after he balked home another run to bring the Knights to within 3-2.

The Knights host the WCL Portland Toros at 6:40 p.m. on Friday; the scheduled starter is righty Stephen Nogosek (0-1, 10.80), an Oregon signee. Another righty with Oregon ties, UO rising sophomore Jared Priestley (1-1, 12.00) will start Saturday's 6:40 p.m. nonleague game against the WCL Portland Lobos.

Corvallis resumes league play on Monday night against the Wenatchee AppleSox in a rematch or the 2012 WCL Championship Series, won 2-1 by Wenatchee.