The Kelowna Falcons had their season come to an end in Game #2 of the West Coast League Championship Series with a 5-1 loss to the Corvallis Knights on Thursday night at Goss Stadium.
Garret Kelly’s second inning home run gave the Falcons their first lead of the WCL Final but would be all they could get off of starter Connor Redmond as the Knights scored five unanswered runs to earn their third straight West Coast League title.
Here’s the lineup for tonight’s Game #2 in Corvallis! Jared Akin gets the start on the mound! Catch the game on https://t.co/h4xJYUBwE0! First pitch is set for 6:30 PM! #BaseballLivesHere #WCL pic.twitter.com/YsKOY5H7l6
— Kelowna Falcons (@kelownafalcons) August 17, 2018
For the first time in the Championship Series, Kelowna opened the scoring in the game. Garret Kelly ripped a fastball to left field for his first home run of the postseason to get the Falcons ahead by a 1-0 score after an inning and a half.
Jared Akin started the game for Kelowna and walked the bases loaded in the bottom half of the 2nd inning with only one out for getting two big outs to close out the inning and keep the Falcons lead intact.
The lead lasted until the bottom of the 3rd inning when the Knights struck for their first lead of the game, beginning with an RBI groundout from Zak Taylor to tie the game at 1-1. A batter later, Cody Hawken dumped a single into left field to push Corvallis ahead by a 2-1 score after three innings.
Corvallis strikes for two runs in the bottom of the 3rd and take a 2-1 lead into the 4th inning, due up:
— Kelowna Falcons (@kelownafalcons) August 17, 2018
🔺 Taylor Wright
🔺 @dan_pruitt24
🔺 @gkelly_9 #BaseballLivesHere #WCL
Pitching took over from there as both offences were held to no runs for a few frames with Corvallis getting opportunities with runners on base and the Falcons pitching staff doing a good job to keep the game within a run.
Kellan Richards came on to relieve Akin in the 5th inning to get out of a runner in scoring position jam before dealing three strong innings with the Knights adding to their lead in the 8th inning.
Corvallis loaded the bases with one out in the inning getting a sacrifice fly from Chad Stevens before a two-out pinch hit two-run single off the bat of Cole Cabrera to push the Knights lead to 5-1 in the 8th inning.
Aaron Haffar relieved Redmond in the 7th inning with one out and went the rest of the way for Corvallis, not allowing a runner on base in his time in the game and closed out the 9th inning to help Corvallis to the 5-1 victory.
The Falcons season comes to an end as the @CorvKnights come away with a 5-1 victory in Game #2#BaseballLivesHere #WCL pic.twitter.com/mPGP5Lo6Tg
— Kelowna Falcons (@kelownafalcons) August 17, 2018
Redmond earned the win, going 6.2 innings, allowing a run on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts while Akin took the loss for Kelowna, pitching in 4.1 innings and was charged with two runs, seven hits, three walks and two strikeouts.
The Falcons would like to thank their fans for a fantastic 2018 season and can’t wait to see you at the ballpark again in 2019!
Thumbnail photo courtesy of Paul Rentz.
Love. #Champions #EDK #SummerKnights pic.twitter.com/575xv2Uhxz
— Corvallis Knights (@CorvKnights) August 17, 2018
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