Sunday, June 28, Salem, Ore. – Corvallis couldn’t hold ninth-inning lead and fell 9-5 to Marion in the finale of their West Coast League series at Chemeketa Ballpark.
Marion left fielder Matthew Major’s one-out grand slam was the difference, capping a five-run rally that prevented the Knights (15-12, 12-12 WCL) from sweeping the series.
Shortstop Joey Marasco (pictured above, left) was 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI and Ryan Severn (UCSB) went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and two runs for the Knights. They erased a 4-0 deficit and were on the verge of extending their winning streak to five games when the Berries turned the tables in the ninth.
Maverek Russel (UCSB) had a double, a run and his second-straight two-RBI game. Ian Draper (Portland) also doubled, scored and drove in a run.
The Knights trailed 4-0 heading into the sixth but put two on with two out. Russell drove them home with a double and then scored himself when Marasco also doubled.
Severns singled with two outs in the seventh and Draper drove him in with a double to knot the game at 4-4. Marasco came through again in the eighth with a two-out RBI single that scored Carter Stewart (Portland) for a 5-4 Corvallis lead.
Corvallis was behind 4-0 when reliever Ari Silva (LMU) took over with two outs in the home third. He blanked the Berries on two hits until leaving with two outs and a runner on third in the bottom of the sixth.
Matt Kosderka (Lower Columbia) retired the side on a strikeout, stranding the runner to keep Marion’s lead at 4-3. After Corvallis scored once to tie in the top of the seventh to draw even at 4-4, Kosderka threw a scoreless seventh to keep the game even.
Corvallis jumped ahead 5-4 in the eighth and Arlo Pendleton (Cal Poly) made his Knights’ debut by retiring the Berries in order in the bottom half. However, he and reliever Neal Burtis (incoming Oregon State) couldn’t stop the Berries in the ninth.
A single, a walk and another single loaded the bases with no outs. The tying run scored on a fielder’s choice. After a strikeout, Major hit the next pitch well over the left-field fence for his second homer of the series.
The Knights are idle on June 29. They open a six-game homestand on June 30-July 2 against the Portland Pickles. They also host the Springfield Drifters on July 3-5.
The series opener with the Drifters is the annual Oregon State Credit Union Fireworks Night, with a special 7:15 p.m. starting time. A limited number of tickets remain.