Knights squish Berries 8-2, win series opener

Friday, June 26, Salem, Ore.  – The Knights began a key West Coast League series with the Marion Berries with an impressive 8-2 victory before 1,197 fans at Chemeketa Field.

Corvallis (14-11, 11-11 WCL) received excellent outings from pitchers Jack Galanida (George Fox) and Mark Carpenter (LBCC, pictured above) in securing the series opener. They combined for 5.1 innings of scoreless, three-hit relief, enabling the Knights to rally from an early 2-1 deficit.

Galanida got the final out of the fourth inning after permitting an inherited runner to score. He shut the Berries down on two hits over the next three innings, with two strikeouts and no walks.

His biggest challenge was in the seventh, when Marion’s first two runners reached safely. He then induced a 1-6-3 double play and an unassisted groundout to first base to quash the threat.

Carpenter finished it off with two perfect innings, needing only 24 pitches to retire the final six batters in order. He also had two strikeouts.

Shortstop Joey Marasco (George Fox) was 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs and two RBIs. Incoming Cal Poly freshman Max Medina was 2-for-5 with an RBI and Ethan Porter (Oregon State) doubled, scored twice and drove in a run.

The Knights went ahead 1-0 in the fourth. Ryan Severns (UCSB) doubled for their  first hit, and scored on an error while he was stealing third base.

However, Marion answered with two runs in the home fourth, knocking incoming Stanford freshman starter Bryce Hill out of the game. He allowed two runs and two hits in 3.2 innings, with six strikeouts.

Corvallis retook the lead 4-2 with three runs in the fifth. Ian Draper (Portland) and Marasco (George Fox) led off with consecutive singles and Porter reached on a fielder’s choice. All three scored on subsequent errors.

In the sixth, Josh Nati (OSU) and Draper walked, moved up a base on a double steal and scored on Marasco’s opposite-field triple. Porter’s sacrifice fly drove home Marasco for a 7-2 advantage.

Corvallis added another insurance run in the ninth. Porter smacked a leadoff double, stole third, and made it 8-2 on an RBI single by Medina.

The Knights have now won three games in a row after a 1-6 stretch to open their most recent homestand.

The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. on June 27 and concludes at 5:05 p.m. on June 28. The next WCL home games for the Knights are June 30-July 2 against the Portland Pickles.

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