“I don’t know if we’ve ever scored 17 runs in 5 innings,” quipped coach Brooke Knight after dismantling the Cascade College League Showcase team on Saturday at Coleman Field at Goss Stadium.

The final box score read 18-0. 

The game commenced at 6:35 PM under mostly sunny skies with a temperature of 74°F and concluded at 9:11 PM. The Knights emerged victorious with a dominant performance, showcasing their offensive and defensive prowess.

The winning pitcher for the game was Dominic Tatone, who delivered a stellar performance, while Zach Swanson of the CCL Showcase was tagged with the loss. The game drew an attendance of 2,078 fans, who witnessed a masterful display of baseball by the Knights.

The Knights’ offense was on fire, accumulating 19 hits and 18 runs. Brandon Cabrera and Kasen Khansarinia led the charge, each collecting three hits and batting .500. 

“After a couple of games without doing what we wanted to, it was nice to get the bats going. Our pitchers were excellent as well. Dufort was incredible today.”

Quin Dufort and teammate Kellen Segel drove in almost half of the Knight’s runs, with Dufort posting five RBI’s and Segel with three. Ty Yukumoto added to the offensive outburst with three RBI’s as well and a triple, finishing the game with a .500 average.

The CCL Showcase struggled offensively, managing only three hits throughout the game. Travis Finney was a bright spot, going 2-for-4 and raising his average to .286. Despite these efforts, the Showcase could not bring any runners home, leaving five men on base. 

The Showcase pitchers also had a tough outing, with each pitcher facing difficulties against the relentless Knights’ lineup.

Zach Swanson started the game but only lasted two innings, giving up six runs on five hits and walking four batters, ending with a 27.00 ERA. Following Swanson, Adam Dillon, Fabian Lopez, and Jake Burtis took the mound, but each struggled to contain the Knights, collectively allowing 18 runs. 

The Knights’ pitchers performance was diametrically opposed, combining for a shutout. 

“I was really able to use the fastball today, being ahead in runs.” Pitcher Quin Durfort proffered for analysis, continuing, “I was primarily using the fastball, but we [the pitching staff] got some sliders in, too. Because the pitch counts were going well, we gave them the fastball.”

Luke Palmer started and pitched four innings of one-hit ball, striking out three. Dominic Tatone and Quin Dufort followed with two innings each, maintaining the no-hit effort, while Kellen Segel closed the game, allowing just one hit in the final inning. 

The pitching staff demonstrated excellent control and efficiency, with Tatone earning the win for his two innings of perfect relief.

The CCL Showcase threatened early in the first inning with a single by Travis Finney and a walk to Jack Barker, but they couldn’t capitalize, leaving two runners on base. 

The Knights quickly responded with an explosive bottom half. Brandon Cabrera singled and stole second, followed by Kasen Khansarinia’s single that drove in the first run. Quin Dufort’s double brought home two more, and Peyton Miller’s single scored another, giving the Knights an early 4-0 lead. The Showcase was retired in order in the second inning, while the Knights continued their assault with another six runs, highlighted by a Dufort double and Segel’s triple, extending their lead to 10-0.

The Knights added three more runs in the third inning, with contributions from multiple players, further increasing the gap to 13-0. The Showcase’s offense remained stagnant from the fourth to the sixth inning, unable to find any rhythm against the Knights’ pitchers. 

Meanwhile, the Knights continued to pile on runs, with critical hits from Yukumoto and Khansarinia pushing the score to 17-0. In the final innings, the Knights added one more run in the eighth, securing their commanding 18-0 victory. 

Defensively, the CCL Showcase committed four errors, contributing to their defensive woes. Errors by Herwick, Thai, Ammerman, and Lopez allowed the Knights additional opportunities to score. 

The Knights’ defense was nearly flawless, with no errors and no runs allowed.

The Corvallis Knights dominated the game from start to finish, showcasing a potent offense and a lockdown defense. They will next play the Mid Valley Southpaws on Sunday at 5:05 pm at Goss Stadium.