Box Score

FOREST GROVE – Kevin Schwartz (Sr., Milwaukie, Ore.) put together a 3 for 4 night and scored both of Pacific's runs, but the Boxers still struggled to bring runners home in a 7-2 non-conference baseball loss to Corban Tuesday night at Chuck Bafaro Stadium.
 
The Boxers (17-14) left six men on base and grounded into three double plays, two of which ended innings.  The Warriors (23-17), meanwhile, took advantage early by scoring five of their seven runs off of starter Tyler Kotchik (Fr., Beaverton, Ore.).
 
Schwartz finished with two singles and a double, with all of his hits coming as the leadoff hitter in the inning.  Anson Arakaki (Jr., Hilo, Hawaii) and Brad Williams (Fr., Olympia, Wash.) each had two hits as the Boxers out-hit the Warriors 10-8.  Steven Blum and Tyler Atkinson each had two hits to lead Corban.
 
Corban wasted no time getting their scoring machine running as Marc Gallegos took the first pitch he saw off of Kotchik for a single to center field.  He stole second and scored on Blum's one-out double to right field.  Atkinson then followed with a double to left to trade places with Blum.
 
Pacific took one back in the home half of the first.  Schwartz led off the frame with a single through the left side, advanced to second on Arakaki's bunt single and went to third on Jared Van Hoon's (Sr., Lake Oswego, Ore.) sacrifice bunt that came close to being another hit.  Schwartz then scored on a Nate Rasmussen (Sr., Sandy, Utah) sacrifice fly.
 
The Warriors came back to score three runs in the third with two outs and the aid of just one hit.  Cody Atkinson and Colby Sokol drew one out walks and moved up to second and third on Blum's ground out.  Tyler Atkinson followed with a long single to right center to score both runners.  Tyler Atkinson advanced to third when Lance Foster's fly ball was misplayed and scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Warriors then added two runs in seventh when Blum connected on a two-run homer that hit off of the lower panel of the scoreboard in left center field.
 
Schwartz accounted for the one run in the eighth for the Boxers, doubling to right field to lead off the inning.  He scored on Rasmussen's single to left center field.
 
Kotchik took the loss for Pacific to drop to 0-3 on the season.  The lefty allowed five runs, four earned, on five hits with two walks and a strikeout in 2.2 innings of work.  Each of the Boxers' three relievers, Kyle Treadway (Fr., Phoenix, Ore.), Rylan Tomita (Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii) and Matt Delegato (Jr., Hillsboro, Ore.) each had three strikeouts.
 
Caleb Virtue earned the win in relief for Corban to improve to 2-1 on the season, allowing two hits and striking out one in three innings.  Starter Anthony Wirkkala went three innings, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts.
 
Pacific returns to Northwest Conference play this weekend and controls their own destiny as they look to better their chances to win their first NWC title since 1979.  The Boxers host Puget Sound for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.  Game time is noon both days.  Corban travels south for a four-game NAIA Region I series at Simpson (Calif.).