Friday, July 24, Yakima, Wash. – The Knights inconsistent play continued as they fell 12-7 to Yakima Valley in the opener of their South Division series at Yakima County Stadium.
The Knights (26-21, 22-21 WCL, 9-7 second half) resumed their win-lose-win-lose pattern the night after a 20-2 blowout of Bend. They have not won consecutive West Coast League games since defeating Portland on July 7 to cap a four-game winning streak starting the second half of the season.
Since then, they are 5-7 in league play and maintaining a tenuous grip on one of the South Division’s three available playoff berths. Richfield has already clinched the postseason by winning the division’s first-half championship.
Three errors and 14 free passes via walks or hit batters sunk the Knights. Two errors led to three unearned runs in the first inning. Three of the Pippins who scored in the four-run fourth reached base via walk or being hit by a pitch.
That enabled the Pippins to build an 8-3 lead. Corvallis got one run back in the fifth on catcher Dakota Chun’s RBI single, but could not score again despite loading the bases with no outs.
The Knights drew within 8-6 in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Ryan Severns (UCSB) and Zane Garvey’s (Portland) run-scoring single. However, they left the bases loaded again and got no closer.
Yakima Valley restored a comfortable 10-6 advantage with two two-out runs in the seventh. Both runners who scored reached base on walks. The Pippins scored twice more in the eighth; one of those runners was aboard via walk.
Severns doubled, single, scored three times and drove in a run. Kellen Segel (LBCC) doubled, singled and drove in one.
Game 2 of the series is set for 6:35 p.m. on July 25; incoming Stanford righty Bryce Hill (1-1, 3.86) is the projected starter for Corvallis. Cal Poly righty Arlo Pendleton (1-2, 4.73) is the probable for the 5:05 p.m. July 26 finale.
Corvallis then concludes its home schedule with a six-game homestand from July 28-Aug. 2. Ridgefield is in town on July 28-30, followed by Yakima Valley on July 31-Aug. 2. All games start at 6:35 p.m. except the 5:05 p.m. home finale.