Knights, Lawson make quick work of Black Bears in speedy 2-0 win

Tuesday, July 19, Corvallis, Ore. – Corvallis starter Ian Lawson and two relievers stymied Cowlitz on five hits on Tuesday in a 2-0 victory on a pleasant night at Goss Stadium.

Lawson (pictured, above) blanked the Black Bears out on two hits over six innings, his longest stint of the season. He struck out one, walked two, induced 12 ground-ball outs, threw 50 strikes in 85 pitches and lowered his ERA from 1.17 to 0.66.

Neil Feist (El Camino) followed by allowing two hits in two scoreless innings, with one strikeout. Nathan DeSchryver (Gonzaga) allowed one hit in the ninth but posted his first save of the summer, with one strikeout.

All the scoring came in the second inning. Ryan Stafford (Cal Poly) was hit by a pitch with one out and moved to second on a single by Brady Lavoie (San Diego State). Both runners then advanced a base on a wild pitch.

Stafford scored on a single by Temo Becerra (Stanford). Lavoie then scampered home on Tyler Quinn’s sacrifice fly, giving Quinn five RBIs in his last two games.

The game was completed in a crisp 2:09, one of the Knights fastest games of the season.  Corvallis (25-13 all, 25-12 WCL, 7-4 second half) are 5-1 in their last six games.

The series continues at 6:35 on Wednesday. Washington State righthander Duke Brotherton (1-2, 6.42) is the projected starter for Corvallis.

The series finale is set for 6:35 p.m. Thursday. Righty Cam Day of Utah (0-0, 0.93) will make his second start of the summer for the Knights.

The Knights then host Portland this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A nonleague game with the Northwest Star Nighthawks (July 25) and games with Springfield (July 26, July 28) complete the homestand.

The Knights clinched their 15^th consecutive postseason berth on July 7 by winning the South Division’s first-half championship by two games over Ridgefield. They will be the No. 1 seed in the South Division playoffs.

The playoffs begin on Aug. 9 with the best-of-3 opening round. Corvallis will open the home portion of the postseason with Game 2 on Aug. 10. If necessary, Game 3 will be at Goss Stadium on Aug. 11.

Tuesday’s crowd of 1,821 raised the season total to 29,968 in 17 dates. That’s an average of 1,763 per outing.

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