(Tacoma, WA) – So much for home field advantage.
The Lower Columbia Red Devils and Tacoma Titans clashed in a battle of top NWAC teams. The visiting teams won all four of the games.
Game #1 Tacoma 3 Lower Columbia 1
Red Devil starter
Michael Schwarz was outstanding. The lefty went eight innings allowing just five hits and two runs. Schwarz walked just one and struck out six. His only real mistake was a pitch to TCC's Drake Anderson in the 4
th inning. Anderson hit a two-run homer to give Tacoma the lead they would not relinquish.
The Devils lone run was on a wild pitch in the 5
th. The Devils were held to seven hits, two from
Tyler Reese.
Anderson hit a another homer for Tacoma, a solo blast in the 9
th off
Mac Elske.
Game #2 Tacoma 6 Lower Columbia 0
With chance to get the home split, the Red Devil offense was held in check. LCC could muster just three hits against Tacoma pitching.
Justin Stransky, Reese and
Wren Cecil had singles.
LCC starter
Noah Imboden went three innings and worked around four walks. The freshman lefty allowed one hit and one run in three innings of work.
Camdem Oram came on in the 4
th but allowed three singles, a walk and two wild pitches allowing TCC to score four runs.
Jase Schueller was effective with 2 2/3 innings allowing one hit and no runs.
Game #3 Lower Columbia 15 Tacoma 12
With series in Tacoma on Sunday, the Devils bats broke out. LCC scored in the first five innings, including five in the 5
th. But Tacoma kept coming back. The Titans rolled three in the second, three in the third, three in the sixth and three in the seventh.
Jadon Williamson was able to solve Tacoma and his 2 2/3 inning of scoreless ball turned out to be the key.
Owen Luchies went six innings and gave up 11 hits and nine runs.
Braeden Munger hit two batters and walked another in the 7
th. Williamson had some trouble getting his feet wet as three inherited runs came in to score. But J-Will held TCC down to get the save.
Cayden Wotipka led the offense going 3 for 6 with three runs scored and three RBI's. His two run blast in the third inning got the juices flowing.
Matthew Lewis also went deep in the 4
th inning, also a two-run shot. Lewis scored three runs and drove in three.
Reese went 3 for 5.
Kyle Parkman had two hits and two RBI's. Stransky also cashed in two RBI's.
Game #4 Lower Columbia 3 Tacoma 2 (8 Innings)
The series finale turned into a pitchers duel. LCC's
Brayden Wells and TCC's Elijah Higginbottom were both superb.
Wotipka got to Higginbottom with an RBI single in the first inning. Drake Anderson took Wells deep with a solo homer in the second, Anderson's third homer of the series.
Both pitchers then settled down after that. Wells went 7 1/3 innings allowing just four hits, two runs, two walks and nine strikeouts.
Tied 1-1 going to extra innings, the Devils used the international tiebreaker to score two. Wotipka came through again with an RBI single to break the tie. Wotipka scored on a wild pitch giving LCC a 3-1 lead.
Tacoma came back with a walk and a single off Wells. Elske was summoned from the bullpen and gave up an RBI groundout to make it 3-2. Elske then fielded a hot shot right back to him and tossed to first to preserve a huge win and a series split.
It was a great show of grit and determination for Lower Columbia. They had to beat the Top-Ranked Titans twice at their place to stay in the hunt for the West Region title. Both teams are 9-3 atop the division. The Pierce Raiders also have a share of first with a 9-3 record. Pierce will be coming to Longview on Saturday April 29
th. The double header at Story Field begins at 12 pm. Prior to the game, the 1981 LCC baseball team will be honored with induction into the LCC Athletics Hall of Fame. Pierce and LCC will close out the four game series Sunday April 30
th in Puyallup.
