(Kent, WA) – The Lower Columbia Red Devils and Green River Gators met for the final time on Sunday May 1
st. The Green River administration earlier announced they would be shutting down the program next year. LCC's four-game sweep at least made the final matchups a positive memory.
On Saturday April 30
th at Story Field, the Devils defeated the Gators 11-4 and 6-5. Sunday in Kent LCC came away with 8-2 and 11-1 victories.
For history, LCC finished with an all-time record of 145-33 against Green River. The Gators won the first ever meeting 7-2 in 1972. The Devils ended the series with 22 straight victories. The last Gator win over LCC was back on April 30, 2017.
On Saturday, the Devils jumped on Green River for four runs in the first inning highlighted by a two-run double from
Eric Luchies and a two-run single from
Tyler Peterson.
LCC starter
Michael Schwarz was perfect through four innings before giving up two runs (one unearned) in the top of the 5
th. LCC came back to blow the game open with five runs in the 5
th.
Liam Kerr and
Ethan Stacy each had two-run doubles in the frame.
Austin Sheldon and
Aaron Robertson finished the game in relief of winner Schwarz.
The second game Saturday was a nail-biter. Green River took a 2-0 lead after four innings. LCC was held to just
Nick Miller's double in that span. The Red Devils then scored three runs in the bottom of the 5
th to take a 3-2 lead. Two Gator errors in the inning helped the LCC cause.
But Green River came back and scored three in the top of the 6
th to regain the lead 5-3. In the bottom of the 6
th, LCC took advantage of four walks and took the lead for good on Stacy's two-run double.
Mac Elske shut the door in the 9
th for the save, working around two walks.
The scene shifted to Hogan park in Kent on Sunday. Nursing a 2-1 lead in the after seven, the Devils exploded for five runs in the top of the 8
th. The key hits were
Kyle Parkman's two run double and Peterson's two-run single.
Drake Bird also had a sacrifice fly in the inning.
Parkman added a run scoring double in the 9
th and ended the game going 3 for 5 with five RBI's.
Camdem Oram came up big with six innings of five hit ball, striking out six. He got the victory.
Brayden Wells gave up a run in the 7
th and then
Aaron Robertson closed it out with two innings of shutout ball.
In the final game Sunday, LCC had another explosive inning scoring five in the 4
th.
Matthew Lewis hit a run scoring triple followed by Stacy's RBI single. Three more came in on Justin Stranky's bases loaded hit-by-pitch, a
Bryan Falk sacrifice fly and Peterson's bases-loaded walk.
Daniel Gernon had two RBI's for the Devils.
It was in support of starter
Brayden Marcum who scattered nine hits and allowed just one run in six innings. Marcum is now 4-1 on the season with an ERA of 1.05. Elske finished up with a one-hit inning.
Stacy had three hits in the series finale and ended the weekend going 6 for 13 with seven RBI's and eight runs scored.
The Devils got some help from Centralia on Sunday when the Blazers took two games from Pierce. LCC and Pierce are now tied for second place with 13-4 record in the West. The Devils are 28-9 overall.
Lower Columbia hosts Grays Harbor on Friday May 6
th. The double header at Story Field begins at 5 pm. The teams will then get together for two games on Saturday May 7
th at Olympic Stadium in Hoquiam.
The Devils have also announced that former head coach Eddie Smith will be bringing his Utah Valley Wolverines to Story Field for a 5 pm single game on Monday May 9
th. It will be a rare appearance for a Division I school at Story Field, certainly against LCC. All former players of Smith during his successful four years at the helm of LCC are invited to come to Story Field for the special event. Also returning will be former LCC players Michael Forgione and Kade Kryzsko, who are on Smith's staff at Utah Valley.
