The Lower Columbia pitching staff combined to strike out 53 Columbia Basin Hawks in taking three of four games at Story Field March 7^th and 8^th.
 
The Devils and Hawks got together after scheduled double headers with Lane and Umpqua were cancelled due to travel restrictions implemented by the Oregon schools.  Columbia Basin scrambled to get transportation and lodging and arrived from the Tri-Cities in time for Saturday's double header.
 
Tyson Guererro was dominating in game one, a 6-1 LCC victory.  Guererro went six innings with 15 strikeouts.  The sophomore lefthander featured a fastball around 93 with a wicked slider.  Guererro allowed one run on four hits with just one walk.
 
Eli Shubert came on in relief and also dominated.  Shubert went three innings striking out six.
 
The Devils scored four runs in the 4^th inning highlighted by a Greg Bernash RBI double and a Kyle Casperson two-run single.  Chase Matheny provided a two-run double in the 7^th to complete the LCC scoring.
 
The second game Saturday saw the Red Devils on CBC starter Nick Bateman in the first inning on the way to an 8-5 victory. LCC scored six runs in the frame with two of the runs on bases-loaded walks.  Shane Jamison had an RBI single and Tommy Davis had the big hit with a two-run double.  The Devils offense went into dry-dock after that big first inning, scoring single runs in the third and the fifth.
 
Red Devil starter Nick Jennings had some control issues as he went 3-plus innings with four walks, three hits and four strikeouts.  Griffin Henry came on and pitched well scattering four hits over 4 2/3 innings of work.  Henry struck out six Hawks in his outing.
 
Alex Brady came in to snuff a Columbia Basin rally in the 8^th frame, getting back-to-back strikeouts to end the threat.  Brady then completed the save by striking two batters in the ninth.
 
The Hawks got the 6-0 win in game one on Sunday.  Columbia Basin scored three runs in the second inning off LCC starter Dakota Hawkins.  The game turned when Jamison made a diving stop wide of first, but then dropped the ball as he began to scoop to a covering Hawkins.  Hawkins tried to make a stretch at the bag and pulled a hamstring.  He gave up back-to-back singles as he tried to work through the injury but was lifted.  Spencer Andersen came on and allowed an RBI groundout and a two-run single.
 
Andersen was sparkling after that.  The big lefty from Ridgefield went 6 1/3 innings allowing just two runs with six strikeouts. The Hawks got to Andersen with three runs in the 8^th.  Ryan Pitts came on and worked the final inning and a third.
 
The Devil bats were silent in the game.  Lower Columbia was held to just five hits.  Grant Henry had a single and a double.
 
The series finale featured LCC coming out and scoring eight runs in the first inning.  The Devils went on to a 9-3 victory.  Davis had the big hit as he cleared the bases with a three-run triple.  Matt Schwarz had a two-run single in the inning.
 
With the big lead, LCC could muster just one more run.  It was all that starter Kaden Vanderwerf would need.  Vandy went seven innings allowing two runs, nine hits, seven strikeouts and no walks.
 
Alex Bratton closed the series with two innings allowing a run on two hits.
 
The 53 strikeouts is something to hang their hat on but the lack of offensive consistency concerns head coach Eric Lane.  "We're a young team and many of our guys are still trying to figure it out", he said.  "I thought we took a step back this weekend and we need to be more competitive at the plate."
 
The Devils will travel to Edmonds for a single game on Tuesday March 10^th at 6:30 pm.  Because of concerns over the COVID-19 virus, the game will be played in an empty stadium as there will be no spectators allowed.  The game will be live streamed on the Edmonds You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rroZv3rFEoU