FOREST GROVE – On a cold Tuesday night, the near freezing weather did little to cool off Chad Fahey (Jr., Keizer, Ore.) as the hurler struck out to lead Pacific to a 5-3 win over Corban in the Boxers' 2011 home baseball opener at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
Fahey earned his first win of the season with a masterful pitching performance. In six innings of work, Fahey allowed four hits and two walks and fanned 14 for the win. It was the most strikeouts for a Pacific pitcher since Adam Azril struck out 13 against Lewis & Clark on Mar. 29, 2005. Fahey struck out the side in both the first and second innings and allowed just one runner past second base.
The contest was a far cry from the 12-9 come-from-behind victory that the Boxers (4-3) posted against the Warriors on Sunday. After Fahey retired the side in the first, Kevin Schwartz (Jr., Milwaukie, Ore.) got the Boxers going when he reached on a ball that lost in the lights by Corban second baseman Jared Fritz. Trux French (So., Kennwewick, Wash.) followed with a single and both came home on a double to center field by Nate Rasmussen (Jr., Sandy, Utah).
Pacific added one in the fourth. Jared Van Hoon (Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) led off with single, was sacrificed over to the second and stole third. He came home on a Conor Clark (Jr., Tigard, Ore.) ground out.
Rasmussen and Van Hoon added what ended up being critical insurance runs in the eighth inning. Rasmussen picked up a lead-off walk and Van Hoon singled. A double steal put Rasmussen in position to score on Anson Arakaki's (So., Hilo, Hawaii) single. Van Hoon then came home on a wild pitch.
Corban (0-8) made it interesting in the ninth against closer Dan Wolfe (Sr., Warrenton, Ore.). Jared Fritz opened the frame with a double and Andy Hill reached on an error. Lance Foster followed with a double that scored the Warriors' first run of the game, Hill scored on a ground out and Foster plated on a Trevor Winsor sacrifice fly. Wolfe then coaxed Joshua Walker into a fly out to center field to win the game.
Corban starter Tyler Doornink fell to 0-2 in the loss, allowing three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in five innings. Van Hoon led Pacific's hitting efforts by going 3 for 3, while French and Rasmussen each had two hits. Fritz finished with two hits to lead the Warriors.
Pacific shifts gears to begin Northwest Conference play as the Boxers host Lewis & Clark next weekend. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday ay 11 a.m., followed by a single game on Sunday at noon. Corban begins NAIA regional action this weekend, traveling to Lewis-Clark State for a four-game series.