Saturday, May 30, Kamloops, B.C. – It was another marathon evening at Norbrock Stadium, but the result was the same for the Knights.
One night after ending the first game using the West Coast League’s new, revised extra-inning protocol in the 10th inning, Corvallis and Kamloops went even longer before determining a winner.
This time the Knights (3-0 all, 2-0 WCL) prevailed 11-9 in 11 innings, surviving a 4-hour, one-minute battle to grab a 2-0 advantage in their first 2026 league series.
With the score knotted at 7-7, the Knights started the 11th with runners on first and second base. A sacrifice advanced both runners and Zane Garvey (Western Oregon) singled for an 8-7 lead.
A walk loaded the bases and an RBI single by Jackson Fera (LBCC) made it 9-7. Xavier Rios (CSUN) capped the rally with a crucial two-run single, giving Corvallis an insurmountable 11-7 edge.
Both of Kamloops’ courtesy runners scored in the home half on a leadoff double. But reliever Kellen Segel (LBCC) then recorded two strikeouts and a groundout to end the damage and send the Knights back to their hotel with another hard-earned victory.
The teams combined for 10 runs in the two extra innings, as all eight courtesy runners eventually scored. Reliever Mark Carpenter (LBCC) escaped a big jam in the ninth, went three innings overall and earned the pitching decision.
In the top of the 10th inning, a two-run single by Berkley Reents (George Fox) staked the Knights to a 7-5 lead. However, in the bottom half Kamloops also scored twice, forcing another inning played under the same format.
Garvey (above, left) was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Rios (above, center) was 1-foor-2 with the game-winning hit and Fera (above, right) also had a big RBI in the decisive rally.
Shortstop Joey Marasco (George Fox) was 2-for-4 with two runs. Reents had two hits and two RBI and Segel scored twice, walked three times and earned the save.
It was a back-and-forth battle all night. A sacrifice fly by Gavin Brubaker (NW Nazarene) gave the Knights a 1-0 lead in the first. However, Kamloops roughed up starter Nick Saelens (Pacific) for three runs in the second to surge in front.
An RBI triple by catcher Carter Stewart (Portland) plated a run to get Corvallis within 3-2 in the fourth inning. Corvallis then tallied three times in the fifth to retake the lead at 5-3. Chanz Flores (LBCC) and Garvey had RBI singles and a third run scored on a wild pitch.
Jake Johnson (LBCC) followed Saelens with two scoreless frames but Kamloops strung together three hits to score twice and knot the game at 5-5 in the sixth. Garvey prevented further damage by throwing out the potential go-ahead run at the plate from right field.
Both teams threatened over the final three innings but neither scored again until the 10th.
The series concludes at 12:05 p.m. on May 31. The Knights return home after that game, and then embark on a six-game road trip to Walla Walla (June 2-4) and Portland (June 5-7).
Their WCL home opener is set for 6:35 p.m. on June 10 against the Marion Berries.
A box score was not immediately available.