A high-scoring second inning from the Corvallis Knights propelled them to a 10-2 victory over the Springfield Drifters on Thursday night in Goss Stadium. 

The first two games of the Corvallis Knights series against the Springfield Drifters were low-scoring pitching battles in which the Knights combined for six total runs. However, the Knights had scored six runs by the end of the second inning. 

The Knights scored once in the first inning, five times in the second, and added three more to make the score 9-0 after just three innings. 

Much of the early offensive scoring surge by the Knights was created by walks issued by Springfield’s pitchers. Nine of the Knights first 14 at-bats were walks, and the Knights capitalized on the mistakes by the Drifters pitchers, as outfielders Ethan Hott and Sam Stem, and infielder Tyler Quinn contributed with excellent hitting on the offensive side of the ball.

Hedges opened the first inning with an RBI double which was soon followed by an RBI single from Quinn. 

An Inning later, outfielder Ethan Hott’s hit an RBI double, adding a couple more runs for the Knights. The ninth run for the Knights came from Stem, who hit his second RBI of the game. 

The Drifters two runs came in the fifth inning when infielder Ben Newton stole home on a wild pitch and when infielder Cooper Mullins hit a sacrifice fly, scoring another run for Springfield.

A late RBI single from Hott gave the Knights a 10th run in the eighth inning to make the score 10-2 headed into the ninth inning.

The Knights pitching staff ensured the offensive surge was not wasted. Starting right-handed pitcher, Max Debiec picked up four strikeouts and gave up no runs. Right-handed pitcher Brady Jones picked up a strikeout in the seventh inning, and left-handed pitcher Grant Clevinger picked up two strikeouts to end the game in the ninth. 

The win for the Knights marked number 17 on the season and improved their record to 14-7 in the West Coast League. With the win, the Knights also sweep the series against the Drifters.

 The Knights have a three-game home series against the Cowlitz Black Bears starting Friday, with a first pitch time starting at 6:35 pm at Goss Stadium.