Knights stretch win streak to 10 in a row

Wednesday, July 9, Ridgefield, Wash. – Knights newcomer Cole Katayama-Stall homered and drove in three runs to spark a 9-1 victory over Ridgefield at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.

A rising sophomore infielder at Portland, Katayama-Stall joined the team before the game and made an immediate impact as the DH. His RBI single in the second inning tied the score and his 2-run homer in the sixth gave Corvallis an insurmountable 8-1 advantage. He was 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a walk.

The Knights (25-10 all, 22-10 WCL, 5-0 second half) stretched their winning streak to 10 straight games in WCL action and 12 games in a row overall. Their last loss was at Yakima Valley back on June 25.

They are 5-0 vs. the Raptors this season. Ridgefield has not beaten the Knights since Aug. 5, 2023, a span covering 12 regular-season and two playoff games.

Kellen Segel (LBCC) doubled, singled twice and scored four times. Antonio Castro (Cal Poly) drove in three runs, Ian Fernandez (UCSB) two; Fernandez and Castro each hit 2-run doubles in a four-run fourth inning that expanded a 2-1 lead to a comfortable 6-1 margin.

Van Froling (UCSB) allowed one run and had four strikeouts in 3.2 innings in his initial start of the summer. Troy Cooper (Cal Poly) added 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, with two strikeouts, and got credit for the victory.

Landen Parker (NW Nazarene) had two strikeouts in a scoreless sixth and seventh innings. Luke Kalfsbeek (Cal Poly) finished up with two more scoreless frames; he also fanned two.

Nebraska lefty Chase Olson (1-1, 4.10) will start for the Knights in the series finale at 6:35 p.m. on July 10.

The Knights conclude their current road trip at Walla Walla on July 11-13. Their next home game is a July 15 non-conference matchup with the Corvallis Gerding Construction American Legion team.

The WCL All-Star Game at Bellingham follows on July 16. Infielder Mason Riske (USC), pitcher J’Shawn Unger (Iowa Western CC), center fielder Brock Ketelsen (Stanford) and catcher Xavier Rios (CSUN) will represent the Knights on the South Division squad.

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