Knights steamroll CCL Showcase team, also clinch playoff berth

Friday, June 28, Corvallis, Ore. – It was a win-win-win night for 1,526 Knights fans on a comfortable night at Goss Stadium.

First, 250 lucky supporters received a free tee-shirt from Corvallis Custom when they entered the ballpark.

Once there, they saw the Knights unleash a 17-hit offensive barrage in a 21-4 romp over the Cascade Collegiate League’s Showcase team.

And in the eighth inning, they learned that Corvallis (21-5 all, 19-5 WCL) had clinched the first-half South Division championship and advanced to the West Coast League playoffs for the 17^th consecutive season.

Ridgefield’s 4-0 victory over Portland gave the Knights a three-game lead over the Pickles in the loss column. Corvallis has just three games left in the first half, and owns the tie-breaker over Portland thanks to three wins over the Pickles on June 11-13.

CJ Colyer (Pacific, pictured above ) blasted a three-run homer to cap a seven-run second inning, and finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs and three runs scored. It was the Knights’ first homer of the summer at Goss Stadium and earned Colyer the Washington Park Advisors Player of the Game honor.

Ty Yukumoto (Pacific) was 3-for-4 with three runs, two steals and an RBI while reaching safely five times in six plate appearances. Blake Wilson (Washington) was 3-for-6 with three RBIs, two stolen bases and two runs.

Kellen Segel (LBCC) was 1-for-2 with a booming double and three RBIs. Hustyn Wheeler (Oregon State) had three hits, three runs and an RBI and Kevin Takeuchi (USC) tripled, singled, stole a base, scored twice and drove in a run.

All 10 Knights who came to the plate scored at least once.

Starting pitcher Jackson Flora (UC Santa Barbara) allowed only one hit and struck out six in five shutout innings. He faced the minimum of 15 batters, as he picked off the only player to reach base safely.

Lucas Casey (CSUN) went 1.2 scoreless inning of relief, with a strikeout, and Caleb Debban (George Fox) authored a scoreless ninth.

The Knights conclude the two-game series against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase Team on June 29. The visitors feature the top players from the CCL and are managed by Ben Krueger, the head coach at Yakima Valley CC.

Established in 2018, the CCL is comprised of players from regional NCAA, NAIA and NWAC schools. The four teams play on weekends in June and July at Wheeler Field in Centralia, Wash.

June 29 is Baseball Giveaway Night, sponsored by Heresco Chiropractic. The first 250 fans receive a free baseball. Laif Palmer (0-0, 0.00) of Oregon State in the scheduled starter for the Knights.

The Knights then host the Albany Mid-Valley Southpaws American Legion team on June 30, sponsored by Oregon AAA. Grant Cleavinger (0-0, 3.85) of Nebraska is the probable starter for Corvallis.

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