(Longview, WA) – The Lower Columbia baseball team knew that if they took care of business, they would have at least a share of the West Region championship. As it turned out, there would be no sharing.
LCC completed a four game weekend sweep over Centralia with an extra inning walk-off, wild pitch that scored the game winner in a 1-0 victory over Centralia. LCC got help on Friday when Clark handed Tacoma a rare loss. The scene was set and the Devils came through.
Game #1 Friday May 12th at Centralia – Lower Columbia 8 Centralia 3
The Devils were a winner in their first game played at the new on-campus Centralia facility named after long time athletic director Bob Peters.
Jadon Williamson came on in the second inning for starter
Owen Luchies and provided 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball. Williamson allowed just two hits and struck out nine.
Joey Pearson shut the door with a hitless, scoreless ninth.
The Devils hit three home runs.
Easton Amundson got the party started with a first inning three-run homer.
Justin Stransky went 3 for 5 with a homer.
Cayden Wotipka had a two-run triple and a solo homer.
Tyler Reese had two hits for LCC.
Game #2 Friday May 12th at Centralia – Lower Columbia 5 Centralia 0
Brayden Wells got the start and scattered six hits over 4 2/3 shutout innings.
Camden Oram closed it out with 2 1/3 innings of hitless-scoreless relief.
Wotipka had another monster game. He went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer and four RBI's. Wotipka added some last inning insurance with a two-run single.
Wren Cecil added an RBI single.
Game #3 Saturday May 13th at Story Field – Lower Columbia 10 Centralia 0
Michael Schwarz and
Austin Sheldon combined on the shutout. Schwarz went six strong innings allowing six single and striking out six. Sheldon faced five straight pinch hitters but got the third out with the bases loaded to preserve the shutout and keep the mercy rule in effect.
The Devil offense showed little mercy. In the third, Oram had an RBI single and
Kyle Parkman drove in two runs with a single.
Bryan Falk, Amundson and Wotipka each has RBI single in the fifth inning. Then it was Stransky who provided the knock out blow. After LCC had collected 14 singles through 6 1/3 innings, Stransky hit a grand slam homer in the bottom of the sixth.
Game #4 Saturday May 13th at Story Field – Lower Columbia 1 Centralia 0
The series finale was nothing like the first three games. LCC was held down by Centralia starter Garret Hames. Good thing LCC starter
Noah Imboden was better. Imboden went seven sparkling shutout innings. He gave up four singles and struck out six.
In a scoreless tie in a seven inning ballgame, LCC went to the bullpen for the international tie-breaker and
Carson Kruckman came up big. With runners at the corners, Kruckman got two big strikeouts and a groundout to keep the game scoreless.
In the bottom of the 8
th, the Devils placed Oram at second base, got a base hit from Parkman, an intentional walk to
Tyler Peterson, and then an out at home on a
Wren Cecil fielder choice. Hames uncorked a wild pitch and Parkman came in to score the only run. The run won the game and captured the West Region championship.
With the sweep and the division in hand, the Devils have qualified for the NWAC Championship tournament for a 7
th straight time where they won the title in four of those seasons. The team will not have to host an NWAC Super Regional and they can rest up and get ready for the tournament opening day on Thursday May 25
th. LCC will play at 7:35 pm against the winner of the Super Regional hosted by Edmonds College.
