Oregon Tech Nips Corban, 5-4

Oregon Tech’s offense was led by Sean Teaters, who went 3-for-6 at the plate with a double and an RBI.

Senior Daniel Flores pitched three strong innings, while freshman Nate Hiebert turned in a 3-for-5 performance at the plate in Friday's loss to the Hustlin' Owls of Oregon Tech.

SALEM, Ore. - In its conference home opener, Corban's baseball team dropped a heart breaker, 5-4, to the Hustlin' Owls of Oregon Tech despite a 3-for-5 performance from freshman Nate Hiebert and seven strong innings from senior Jordan Emery Friday at Warrior Field.

In a game marked by innings of good defense punctuated by spurts of offensive run production, the Warriors stayed close but where unable to close out the Owls in the end. Oregon Tech scored in the top of the 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 11th innings, but Corban managed to answer with runs of its own each time until being shut out in the bottom of the 11th to lose by one run.

With one out in the 3rd inning, Oregon Tech right-fielder Dan Ordonez hammered a double to center field. Advancing on the base paths due to a Corban fielding error, Ordonez crossed the plate on a sacrifice by Lee Eklund to register the game’s first run.

The Warriors answered in the bottom of the inning as senior Jamie McGraw reached base on a fielder’s choice and managed to steal both second and third base before reaching home on an Oregon Tech throwing error. The next batter, junior Craig Spicer reached base on a fielder’s choice and ran all the way from first base to score on an RBI double by senior Daniel Flores as Corban moved ahead by one run.

Neither team managed to score again until the 7th inning when Owls' third-baseman Brian Barrington led off with a single to center field. After advancing on a walk and a sacrifice, Barrington crossed the plate courtesy of an Ordonez single to right center field. Oregon Tech added a second run later in the inning as Ryson Mauricio hit an RBI single to score Trenton Smith.

The Warriors managed to even the score in the bottom of the seventh as junior Rondie Taylor made his way across the plate courtesy of a throwing error by Oregon Tech catcher Kenny Simmons. Taylor walked to first and stole second base before reaching third on a bunt single by Hiebert to set up the score.

After two more scoreless innings the game entered extra frames, where in the 10th inning the Owls once again found a run as first baseman Sean Teaters reached home on an RBI single by Quinn Hummel. The Warriors evened the score in the bottom of the 10th as Spicer led off with a double to left field before crossing the plate on a Darren Johnson RBI bunt single that was intended to be a sacrifice squeeze.

Up again in the top of the 11th, Oregon Tech’s Smith led off with a single and advanced to second and third on sacrifices before reaching home on Eklund’s single. Unfortunately, Corban ran out of answers in the bottom of the inning as the Warrior batters went one, two, three to end the game.

In starting the game on the mound for the Warriors, Emery threw seven impressive innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits, while recording two strikeouts. Flores entered the game in relief in the eighth inning and would put together three solid innings, while allowing one earned run. Junior Jason Braun came on in the 11th and gave up the game-deciding run en route to suffering his second loss of the season.

Oregon Tech’s offense was led by Teaters, who went 3-for-6 at the plate with a double and an RBI. Casey Burton started on the mound for the Owls, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits in six innings before reliever Carlos Ruvalcaba concluded the game to record his first win of the season.

With the loss, Corban falls to 3-7 on the season and 0-3 in Region I play as the Owls improve to 2-11 and 1-3 in Region I. Both teams will take the diamond again tomorrow for a doubleheader scheduled to begin on Warrior Field at noon.

Source: Corban Sports Information

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