Knights Walk-off Sweets Again, Complete Exciting Series Sweep

Thursday, July 29, Corvallis, Ore. – The Knights broke Walla Walla’s heart for the second game in a row,  posting a 6-5 walkoff win before a crowd of 942 at Goss Stadium.

Corvallis trailed 5-4 entering the ninth, but a single by Nick Vogt ((UC Santa Barbara) and a double by Nate Nankil (Cal State Fullerton) tied the score. Two walks loaded the bases and Nankil scooted home with the winner on an 0-1 wild pitch from Sweets’ closer Eric Romo with Ethan Loveless (Portland) at the plate.

The Knights (28-8 WCL, 10-2 second half, 36-10 overall) rallied from a 5-0 deficit to complete a series sweep. They won 6-3 on Tuesday, and 6-5 on Wednesday on Corio’s dramatic, two-out walk-off homer.

Loveless (pictured above) led the Knights with a homer, two singles and two RBIs and reached base in all four at-bats, as he was also hit by a pitch. He raised his average 60 points to .333 with his third multi-hit game of the summer.

The homer was his first of the season.

“I was just trying to get a good pitch and get a good swing on it, and it went out, so it was fun,” he said. “We’re feeling great.

“I think we have all the pieces to win it. We got momentum from this series and hopefully we’ll run with it.”

Second baseman Travis Bazzana (Oregon State) was 3-for-5 with a run. He hit .769 (10-13) in the series, with three doubles and six runs scored, and raised his WCL-leading average from .415 to .448.

Reliever Bradley Mullan (Gonzaga) went three scoreless innings for the victory. He struck out three and gave up one hit. Colton Meyer (Linfield) added 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.

Corvallis heads to Bellingham this weekend for a three-game series at Joe Martin Stadium. The Knights took 2 of 3 from the Bells at Goss Stadium July 6-8.

The Knights open a five-game home stand on Monday, August 2 with a non-league match-up with the Northwest Star Academy Nighthawks. First pitch is set for 6:35 pm. Corvallis then hosts the North Division leading Yakima Valley Pippins Tuesday-Thursday before facing the Ridgefield Raptors on Friday night at Goss, which is the team’s final fireworks show.

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