Playoff hopes still alive thanks to outstanding pitching
May 4, 2007
 |
Junior Jordan Emery recorded his team-leading 5th complete game of the season, as Corban kept its playoff hopes alive with a double header sweep of Concordia today at The Yard. (Photo courtesy of Josh Randolph) |
PORTLAND, Ore. -
Junior Jordan Emery (Salem, Ore.) and sophomore Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) turned in a pair of outstanding pitching performances, as Corban's baseball team pulled within two wins of advancing to the NAIA Region I Tournament with a pair of wins, 4-1 & 5-2, on Friday over rivals Concordia.
Corban struck early and held on late to defeat their respective conference rival Concordia to force a second twin bill at The Yard on Sunday, May 6, beginning at 1:00 p.m..
With the wins, Corban upped its record to 14-31-1 overall, 7-15 in conference play while Concordia dropped to 15-28.
In the opener, Corban grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second with a single to right field by all-conference sophomore Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.) with junior teammate Doug Gausepohl (Murrieta, Calif.) on third.
The next inning senior Brett Timmerman (Medford, Ore.) connected on a two-run shot over the fence in right-center to open the lead up to three runs for the Warriors.
In the bottom of the third, Concordia had a golden opportunity to work their way back into the game with a bases loaded situation without recording an out. Mike Hall turned a pitch the other way only to have the ball scooped by to the right of second base and turned into a double play. On the play, Casey McLeod scored from third, but the inning's rally was cut short with CU catcher Cody Herrick's at-bat ending with a fly out to deep center field.
Emery pitched a seven-inning complete game for the win, improving his season record to 4-9. Bryan Goff struck out four in the loss, turning his season total to 5-6. After surrendering the home run, Goff worked four shut-out innings, retiring 10 of the final 11 Corban batters
to finish the game.
In the nightcap, a game that was delayed nearly an hour due to rain, Braun held the Cavalier batters to four hits in 8 2/3 innings for the win, while senior all-conference honoree Jeremy Frantz (Medford, Ore.) aided the Warriors' offensive cause with his second home run of the season -- a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Concordia's Kyle Corwin gave up four runs in 6 2/3 innings of work before handing the ball over to Chad Lucas, who finished out the game.
The Warriors scored runs in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth inning to preserve the victory, as Frantz went 3-for-4 and Gausepohl registered a pair of hits.
|
