Pickles stop Knights win streak at 9 games

Monday, Aug. 4, Corvallis, Ore. – Portland pounded 16 hits and cooled off the torrid Knights 15-7 before a Goss Stadium crowd of 1,542.

The loss snapped Corvallis’s nine-game winning streak; it had not tasted defeat since falling 3-2 at Nanaimo on July 24. Corvallis had also won six consecutive home games.

Portland unseated Corvallis (41-15 all, 37-15 WCL, 205 second half) atop the South Division’s second-half standings and now leads the Knights by one game with two to play.

However, the Knights have clinched at least second place and home-field advantage in the best-of-3 first round of the divisional playoffs, which will begin at Marion or Bend on Aug. 8.

The Knights led early 2-0 but Portland tied the game in the fourth and then exploded for seven runs over the next two innings to surge ahead 9-2.

Corvallis scored four in the fifth and eventually drew within 9-7 with the tying runs on base in the seventh inning but could not get closer. Portland then erupted for six runs in the eighth for a 15-7 lead that salted the game away.

Knights starter Van Froling (UCSB, pictured above) blanked the Pickles through three innings before tiring in the fourth. He struck out four and walked one.

Trey Swygart (Portland) was 3-for 4 with two runs scored and was the Washington Park Advisors Player of the Game. Antonio Castro (Cal Poly) had a bases-loaded double and two RBIs and catcher Xavier Rios (CSUN) was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI.

Left fielder Quin Dufort (Portland) was 1-for-3, drove in a run and closed the game with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief after moving to pitcher in the eighth inning.

Game 2 of the series is set for 6:35 p.m. Aug. 5. Chase Olson of Nebraska (2-2, 3.37) is the Knights projected starting pitcher.

It is Spartans vs. Raiders Night, with representatives from Corvallis High and Crescent Valley competing in between-innings games. The winning team claims the Corvallis Cup.

Aug. 6 is Fan Appreciation Night, with attendees eligible for raffle prizes and giveaways. Trey Swygart of Portland (1-0, 0.65) is the projected starter for the Knights in the 6:35 p.m. regular-season finale.

The best-of-3 divisional playoffs start on the road on Aug. 8, against either Marion or Bend. The Knights will host Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) on Aug. 9-10.

The South and North divisional championship games are set for Aug. 12. The WCL championship is Aug. 14; the team with the best overall West Coast League record will host.

In other team news, the Knights have added future Linn-Benton CC right-handed pitcher Cooper Yudhishthu to the roster. He will pitch in the Aug. 5 game against Portland.

He pitched at Grant High School in Portland this past spring, was PIL Pitcher of the Year and earned first-team 6A all-state honors. He also started the state-title game against Sunset.

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