Wednesday, June 18, Longview, Wash. – Blake Wilson and Xavier Rios each blasted two-run homers and the Knights routed Cowlitz 8-1 to capture their Southern Division series at David Story Field.
Rios (CSUN) and Wlson (Washington, pictured above) each connected in the fifth inning, when the Knights (8-8 all, 7-8 WCL) forcefully broke a scoreless tie by scoring four runs.
The round-trippers were all the support starting pitcher Easton Jones needed. The Utah right-hander threw a season-high seven innings, struck out six and gave up just one run on three hits. He did not issue a walk and 46 of his 58 pitches were strikes.
Reliever Val Froling (UC Santa Barbara) made his 2025 debut and finished with two scoreless innings. He struck out four of the seven men he faced, did not allow a hit and threw 20 of his 29 pitches for strikes.
Corvallis pitchers walked just one batter and the game took only 2:10, the fastest of the season.
Cowlitz closed within 4-1 in the sixth but second baseman Thomas Ferroggiaro (Santa Clara) had a two-run single in the seventh to restore a comfortable 6-1 lead. Brooks Avery’s (LBCC) RBI single and an error accounted for the final two runs in the eighth.
Third baseman Maddox Riske (USC) was 3-for-4 with two runs. He also had three hits in the series-opening 9-6 victory on June 17 and now is batting .455, with five multi-hit games in nine outings.
A returnee from 2024 who joined the team on June 17, Wilson had two hits and scored twice. Rios also scored twice.
The series concludes at 6:35 p.m. on June 19 at David Story Field. Corvallis’s starter is TBA; Vanguard righty Dylan Henson (0-0, 1.08) is the probable for the Black Bears.
Corvallis returns home to host the Ridgefield Raptors on June 20-22.
June 20 is Forestry Night, starting at 6:35 p.m. The first 250 fans will receive a Lil’ King mini-bat, courtesy of Starker Forests. The starting pitcher for the Knights is TBA; Gonzaga righty Landon Hood (3-0, 3.25) is the probable for the Black Bears.
June 21 is State Farm Dash for Cash night, with a special 7:05 p.m. starting time. The game will be paused in the fourth inning so kids 12 and under can come on to the field and chase $1,000 in cash.
The presenting State Farm agents are Monica Baez, Jim Kuhlman, Severn Thomas, Suzanne Roppe and Jeff Mills. The starting pitcher for the Knights is TBA; Oregon State lefty Max Fraser (0-0, 0.00) is the probable for the Black Bears.
June 22 is the Corvallis Clinic Foundation’s annual Strike Out Cancer Night, starting at 5:05 p.m. It supports Project H.E.R., a comprehensive oncology support group for cancer patients.
The Knights will help the Marion Berries inaugurate WCL baseball in Salem on June 23 when the teams play a 6:35 p.m. game at Chemeketa Community College. The Knights then head to Yakima for a three-game set with the Pippins on June 24-26.