(Longview, WA) – The drama was on Saturday, but the sweep was on Sunday.
The Lower Columbia College baseball team remained in first place in the West with four victories over the Pierce Raiders on Saturday April 29 and Sunday April 28.
Game #1 – Lower Columbia 2 Pierce 1
Tyler Reese hit a ball up the middle in the bottom of the 9
th driving in
Matthew Lewis with the game winner. Lewis slid just under the tag to trigger an LCC celebration.
The Devils were held in check by Pierce starter Ethan Salscheider who scattered 12 hits. But the 9
th inning heroics were started by Lewis' single.
Tyler Peterson then moved Lewis up with a sacrifice bunt and Reese came through with the clutch hit.
LCC starter
Michael Schwarz pitched well. He gave up a solo homer to Kedren Kinzie in the second inning but then settled down going seven complete allowing just five hits.
Carson Kruckman got the victory when he came in and shut down the Raiders with two outstanding innings allowing just one hit.
The Devils tied the game in the 7
th when
Justin Stransky doubled and then scored on an error by the Pierce third baseman.
Game #2 – Lower Columbia 3 Pierce 2 (7 innings)
Tyler Peterson picked a great time to hit his first home run. Ever. TP had never homered in any level of competitive baseball when he turned on a pitch in the bottom of the 7th and sent the ball over the right field fence for a dramatic three-run, game winning home run. The Devils were in disbelief when Peterson rounded the bases and was mobbed at home plate.
LCC had been stymied by Pierce starter Cooper Weygandt who allowed just three hits and no runs before Peterson's shot heard around the NWAC. For the second straight game, Pierce did not use a reliever and the Devils took advantage.
Lower Columbia starter
Noah Imboden was very effective. The freshman lefty went six innings allowing just one run on three hits. A pitch clock violation helped the Raiders get a bases loaded walk in the top of the 6
th. Imboden was lifted in the 7
th down 1-0.
Austin Sheldon gave up a run in the top of the 7
th to give Pierce a 2-0 lead. Sheldon didn't know at the time that Peterson was going to come through and give him his first college victory.
Peterson's homer came after
Carson Hayes and
Matthew Lewis both reached after getting hit by Weygandt.
Game #3 – Lower Columbia 7 Pierce 3
The series shifted to Puyallup on Sunday and runs were again at a premium. LCC starter
Owen Luchies pitched six innings of shutout ball. The Devils were up 7-0 when Luchies gave up three runs in the bottom of the 7
th.
Camden Oram stemmed the tide and got the Devils back in the dugout.
Cayden Wotipka led the Devils at the plate by going 3 for 5 with two RBI's.
Easton Amundson was 3 for 4. Stransky had an RBI double and
Tyler Reese had two hits and an RBI.
The Raiders used the bullpen on Sunday. LCC had 11 hits against five Pierce pitchers.
Game #4 – Lower Columbia 5 Pierce 2 (7 innings)
Looking for the sweep, LCC got a solid relief outing from sophomore
Mac Elske. Elske went 3 2/3 innings of shutout ball to get the win. Starter
Brayden Wells went 3 1/3 allowing two runs on five hits. Elske allowed just one hit in his relief stint.
Clinging to a 3-2 lead after six innings, the Devils plated two insurance runs on a Stransky RBI double and Amundson's sac fly. With Elske on the bump, they didn't need them.
Stransky was 2 for 3. Oram provided an RBI double. Reese and
Wren Cecil also had RBI's.
The Devils sweep kept them in first place with Tacoma both at 13-3. The Titans swept Centralia over the weekend. Next up for LCC is a four game weekend series with Grays Harbor. The teams will play two in Aberdeen on Saturday and then will clash at Story Field at 12 noon on Sunday.
