(Longview, WA) – The last time the Lower Columbia College baseball team lost three straight West Region games was the season of 2014.
The team that did it then did it again. The Pierce Raiders swept a pair of games in Puyallup on Friday April 15
th and then split a pair at Story Field on Saturday April 16
th.
The Devils were able to salvage the finale of the four game set with a victory in Sunday's second game.
Pierce takes the season series 3-2 against LCC.
In game one Friday, the Devils had a 1-0 lead in the top of the 4
th when Pierce scored three in the 4
th and five in the 6
th. It was more than enough for Pierced starter Reid Madariaga who held the Devils to just one base hit, a
Kyle Parkman single. Pierce won the game 8-1.
Devil starter
Camdem Oram took the loss.
Jadon Williamson struggled with control as he walked five batters in his two innings of work.
Braeden Munger allowed just one hit in two innings of relief.
In the second game Friday, the Devils scored two runs in the top of the first on RBI singles from
Eric Luchies and Parkman. But the offense went into dry dock after that and LCC did not score again in the game. Lower Columbia could muster just five hits against two Raider pitchers. Pierce won the game 5-2.
Brayden Wells started and gave up two runs, three hits with four walks.
Aaron Robertson took the loss by giving up two runs in two innings.
Mac Elske pitched two innings giving up a hit and two runs.
The scene shifted to Longview on Saturday and the LCC bats were still asleep as the Raiders won the first game of the twin bill 5-1. Lower Columbia had just five hits, two by Parkman.
Liam Kerr's sacrifice fly drove in the only run for the Devils.
Taelen Bates went the distance as his pitch count was low and he pounded the strike zone. It was estimated he threw just two breaking pitches the entire game.
LCC starter
Michael Schwarz struggled to find his command. Schwarz went 3 1/3 innings allowing six hits and four runs.
Brayden Marcum had the best outing of the weekend as he went 5 2/3 frames scattering six hits and allowing just one run.
The weekend series finale resembled Red Devil baseball. LCC had 11 hits and won the game 8-2.
LCC scored three in the first and two in the second to jump out on top. Parkman had a big two run single in the first and followed up with a bases loaded walk in the 4
th.
Justin Stransky had two hits and an RBI. Luchies was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Ethan Stacy went 2 for 2 with two walks and three runs scored.
Nick Miller had an RBI single.
Winning pitcher
Ryan Pitts had a solid outing with six innings of three hit ball.
Jase Schueller closed it out with a scoreless 7
th inning.
The victory snapped a four game losing streak for LCC. The last time the Devils dropped four in a row was a five game losing streak back in 2016.
The Devils are now in third place in the West with a record of 5-4. Tacoma stays on top with an 8-1 record and Pierce is in second at 7-2.
Lower Columbia will open up a four game series with Centralia this upcoming weekend. The first two games will be at Centralia on Saturday April 23
rd and then the teams will play a 12 pm double header at Story Field on Sunday April 24
th.
