Corvallis walks away with Game 1 win over Elks

Jace Miller’s late game homer highlighted a tough night for Bend. (Sage Young)

Bend, OR - The Corvallis Knights got the best of the Bend Elks Tuesday night with a 14-6 win in the series opener at Vince Genna Stadium.

Bend (2-2, 2-2) struggled to find its command on the hill, affording the seven-time defending West Coast League champions (3-0, 3-0) 14 free passes, enabling the Knights to score in each of the first six innings and put the game out of reach early for the Elks.

Bend battled back with a pyramid rally with one run in the fifth, two in the sixth, and three in the seventh. Some bright spots amidst the attempt to build back out of the deficit were Jace Miller and Kaleb Karpstein.

In the seventh inning, Miller launched a towering fly ball into the Central Oregon night sky that vanished from Knights players' views until it ultimately landed 373 feet somewhere beyond the left field wall for the Elks first home run of the season. Karpstein continued his hot start to the summer with his second consecutive multi-hit game, accumulating three knocks and two RBI.

Bend hurlers Wyatt Novara (0-1) and Carson Waples walked a combined nine Knights, and each surrendered five earned runs over the first four ⅔ innings. Two-way Elk Cole Calnon helped steady the ship down the home stretch, facing the minimum through the final three innings after allowing a four spot in the sixth.

Five Corvallis batters recorded two or more hits, with Brandon Cabrera and Tyler Howard each having a hat trick of hits plus a pair of RBI. Former First-Team All-WCL selection Kaden Segel closed the door on the Elks rally, retiring all seven batters he faced.

Bend will look to even the series with the reigning WCL champs on Wednesday at 6:35 p.m. at Vince Genna Stadium.

Box Score