Nanaimo nips Knights in marathon thriller
Tuesday, June 16, Corvallis, Ore. – The Knights mounted an impressive ninth-inning rally to force bonus baseball but they eventually fell 11-10 to Nanaimo in an 11-inning, 4:01 marathon at Goss Stadium.
Using the WCL’s new tie-breaking procedure, the NightOwls scored once in the 10th and 11th innings to take an 11-10 lead. The Knights started the 11th with runners at first and second, but a strikeout and a 4-6-3 double play enabled Nanaimo to prevail in their first game in Corvallis since joining the West Coast League in 2022.
The Knights (10-7, 9-7 WCL) trailed 9-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth. But they scored four times to force a tie, the final two runs coming on a single by incoming Cal Poly freshman center fielder Max Medina (pictured, above). Corvallis had runners on second and third with one out but could not score.
Nanaimo scored once in the top of the 10th. In the home half, Carter Stewart (Portland) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and one out to knot the score at 10-10. Again, the Knights had two chances to plate the winning run but failed.
In the 11th, Corvallis right fielder Joey Marasco (George Fox) gunned down a runner at home attempting to score on a fly out to keep the game at 11-10. However, Corvalli couldn’t capitalize on the defensive gem.
The Knights are 2-1 in extra-inning games in 2026. They won their first two games of the season at Kamloops in 10 and 11 innings, respectively.
Medina was 3-for-6 with a run, three RBIs and a steal to nab Washington Park Advisors Player of the Game plaudits. Left fielder Ethan Porter (Oregon State) went 3-for-5 with two doubles, two runs, a steal and an RBI.
First baseman Trey Swygard (Portland) continued his red-hot hitting by going 2-for-5 with two RBIs. He is hitting .429 (12-28) in his last eight games, with seven RBIs. Second baseman Ryan Severns (UCSB) also had two hits.
Restricted by a predetermined pitch count, Corvallis starter Morgan Codron (Portland) made the most of his 60 offerings. He struck out seven and allowed one unearned run on three hits in an effective 3.2-inning stint.
Codron left with a 3-1 lead but Nanaimo battered the Knights’ bullpen for eight runs to build its 9-5 advantage heading into the dramatic ninth inning.
The series continues with Game 2 on June 17 and concludes on June 18; both games start at 6:35 p.m. Another WCL series, vs. Edmonton, follows on June 19-21.
Corvallis concludes the homestand with nonleague games against Gunderson Baseball on June 24 and vs. the Corvallis Gerding Construction American Legion team on June 25.
The highlight of the homestand is the June 20 Drone Night game vs. Edmonton, with a special 7:05 p.m. starting time.