The NWAC South Region leading Mt. Hood Saints showed why they are undefeated in conference play, defeating Lower Columbia 8-2 and 10-7 in a home doubleheader on April 27.
Both games were tightly contested into the final inning, until the Saints came up with big runs late. Lower Columbia drops to 21-10 overall and 12-8 (tied for 2
nd) in South Region play. LCC was 16-0 on the home field at Tam O' Shanter Park this season, prior to Saturday's losses.
Game one was an old-fashioned pitcher's duel though six innings for LCC's
Trinity Naugle and MH's McKenzie Pierce. The Saints plated two runs in the 4
th to go up 2-0 and held that lead until the 6
th inning, when Lower Columbia's
Allie Hall hit a mammoth 2-run home run to tie it.
But the Saints rallied for six runs in the 7
th inning, with the help of two Red Devil errors, to take game one. It was a tough finish for Naugle, who battled toe-to-toe with the Saints strong offense all day. The freshman hurler from Castle Rock went the distance, allowing just seven hits, fanned two and walked one, while allowing five earned runs.
Hall led the LCC offense with three hits, while
Valeti Fifita,
Kinzey Williams and
Sarah Potwin each chipped in two hits. Lower Columbia had a runner in scoring position in all seven innings and only scored the two runs in the 6
th, ending the game with seven runners left-on-base.
The nightcap was a slugfest. After MH scored a single run in the first, Lower Columbia answered with three runs, thanks to Potwin's sac fly and an RBI single by
Sarah Russell.
The Saints answered with four runs in the second inning, before LCC's
Saydie Harris two-run home run in the bottom half of the inning tied the game at 5-5.
Mt. Hood regained the lead at 6-5 in the 4
th inning. But an RBI double by Fifita and Williams' RBI single put LCC back up 7-6. But that was it for the Red Devil offense, as the Saints added single runs in the 5
th and 6
th and two more in the 7
th for the final margin of 10-7.
LCC's
Sophia Parsons had three hits in game two and Fifita added two.
Nizhoni Wheeler pitched all seven innings and struck out four Saints.
Lower Columbia is on the road for its next three South Regions DHs, beginning May 1 at Clackamas. Lower Columbia plays at Clark on May 4.
