Knights pitchers star in 3-1 win over Elks

Tuesday, July 21, Corvallis, Ore.  – Corvallis pitchers retired the final 17 Bend Elks in order and the Knights took the opener of the South Division series with a 3-1 victory on a stifling, 90-degree night at Goss Stadium.

Starter Neal Burtis (incoming Oregon State, pictured above) and relievers Nate Marshall (Eastern Illinois) and Matthew Kosderka (Lower Columbia) were all outstanding for the Knights (25-19, 21-19 WCL, 8-5 second half), combining on a four hitter with just one walk.

Burtis went four innings in his best effort of the summer and allowed one unearned run. He struck out four, walked one, and was named the Washington Park Advisors Player of the Game. He did not go the required five innings to be credited with the win.

The decision instead went to Marshall, who entered the game in the fifth inning. He set down all nine batters he faced in order, with five strikeouts. He maintained his perfect ERA of 0.00, over 13.2 innings in seven games.

Kosderka got the save with two perfect frames. He ended the game with a flourish, striking out the side in the ninth to finish business in an efficient 2:27.

Corvallis took a 2-1 lead in the third inning on back-to-back sacrifice flies from Ethan Porter (OSU) and Dakota Chun (Portland). An insurance third run scored in the sixth on another sac fly, by Diego Cruz (OSU).

Zane Garvey (Portland) was 2-for-2 with two walks and reached safely on all four plate appearances.

The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. on July 22. Incoming Oregon State righty Creighton Tuzzio (0-0, 0.00) is the probable starter for the Knights, opposed by Trevor Keiser (1-2, 5.03) of Oregon State.

PLU righty Matt Sherwood (2-3, 5.09) gets the ball for Corvallis in the July 23 series finale, opposed by Washington State’s Gavin Derr (0-1, 4.08). Also scheduled for 6:35 p.m., that game concludes the current homestand.

The Knights head to Yakima Valley on July 24-26. The projected starting rotation is lefty Colin Nowaczyk (2-1, 2.79) of Nebraska, incoming Stanford righty Bryce Hill (1-1, 3.86) and Cal Poly righty Arlo Pendleton (1-2, 4.73).

The crowd of 1,222 raised the season attendance to 36,290 in 24 dates, an average of 1,512 per opening.

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