The Lower Columbia College baseball team opened up West Region play with a 9-3 victory over Grays Harbor on Friday March 31^st.
 
The game was moved up a day and the scene shifted from Hoquiam to the RAC Complex in Lacey.
 
Taylor Davis shook off one bad inning and put up seven goose egg innings to get the victory.  The sophomore right hander went eight innings and scattering eight hits.  The only blemish was the third frame as two walks, a hit-by-pitch and an error led to three Chokers runs.
 
The Devils took an early 1-0 lead in the first on a Cameron Campbell RBI groundout.  LCC then opened the second inning with three straight singles, followed by a Trevor Huddleston bases loaded walk and a Jordan Barchus two-run single.
 
Lower Columbia took control with five runs in the fourth, all coming after two outs.  The big hit in the frame was Kyle Sandstrom's two-run single and an RBI basehit by Ricky Muzzy.
 
As Davis mowed them down, LCC then added two runs in the top of the 9^th on a sacrifice flies from Campbell and JT Strickler.
 
Sandstrom had three hits and two RBI's to lead the offense.  Muzzy also had three hits. Campbell collected two RBI's.
 
Jared Akin came in to close it out with a scoreless ninth.  Davis ended up going eight innings allowing three runs with just two earned. Davis struck out five Grays Harbor batters.
 
The Devils will host Pierce in a key, early-season league matchup on Sunday April 2^nd.  The single game gets underway at 1 pm at Story Field.  You can watch the game on Devil Vision. Just go to You Tube and search LCC Red Devils Athletics.