Monday, July 29, Corvallis, Ore. – The offense remained ice-cold as the Knights fell 8-0 to Walla Walla, extending their scoreless streak to 18 consecutive innings over two games.
It was the third straight win for the Sweets over the Knights (39-12 overall, 34-12 WCL, 12-7 second half). Walla Walla also took the final two games of the July 12-14 series at Borleske Stadium.
The Sweets broke the game opened by scoring four times with two outs in the fourth inning. A single and two walks loaded the bases and a single and a double plated four runs.
Corvallis was held to three hits. A double play ended a two-on, one-out threat in the second inning and a strikeout ended a two-out, two-on threat in the third. The Knights had just two baserunners in the final six innings and neither advanced to second base.
Reliever Dominic Tatone (Western Oregon, pictured above) threw three scoreless innings and earned Washington Park Advisors Player of the Game plaudits. He struck out two and allowed one hit.
It was the second time this summer the Knights were shutout at home on consecutive nights; Springfield turned the trick on June 18-19. They have been blanked at home five times in 2024.
The series resumes at 6:35 p.m. July 30 and concludes at 6:35 p.m. July 31. Kaden Segel (5-0, 2.16) of Portland and Cohen Gonez (1-0, 4.56) of Stanford are the Knights’ projected starting pitchers, opposed by Connor Marshall (0-1, 4.50) of Walla Walla CC and Hunter Polley (1-3, 3.25) of Georgia Gwinnett College, respectively.
The Knights wrap up their seven-game homestand on Aug. 1 with a non-league encounter against the Cascade Collegiate League Showcase team.
Corvallis claimed the first-half South Division championship and advanced to the West Coast League playoffs for the 17th consecutive season. The postseason starts on Aug. 10; Corvallis will have the home-field advantage in the best-of-3 divisional round.
In other team news, right-handed pitcher Zach Johnson of Salt Lake Community College has joined the team for the balance of the summer. He was a key part of the 2023 WCL champions, going 4-0 in 12 games with a 2.19 ERA, with 40 strikeouts in 37 innings and two saves.
Johnson earned WCL honorable-mention all-star honors. He is a 6-foot-170-pound native of West Linn, Ore., who graduated from Lakeridge High School. Johnson pitched at the University of Portland in 2023 before transferring to SLCC.