(Longview, WA) – It's been quite a awhile since the Lower Columbia baseball team played the Shoreline Dolphins. The two teams got together for the first since the 2003 season and the Devils came away with four victories in a weekend series at Story Field March 9
th and 10
th.
Shoreline used to be a member of the West Division in the 80's, 90's and late 2000's. The first ever baseball meeting between the two schools was at the Washington JC tournament in 1966, a 5-2 Shoreline victory. The teams didn't meet for 12 years after that until the 1978 tournament where the Devils bounced back for an earlier loss to eliminate the Dolphins (then known as Samurai). After that LCC had a 36-3 record against Shorline.
For the first time in 20 years, they met at Story Field.
Game One – LCC 8 Shoreline 1
Hunter Lutman went five innings of two-hit, shutout ball to lead the way. He worked around five walks.
Aaron Platner pitched one frame, allowing the only Dolphin run.
Kaden Larson then dazzled in the final three innings allowing just a single hit.
Gunnar Shiotani hit a two-run homer in a four run 5
th inning for LCC.
Royce Vandine had two hits and two RBI's.
Alex Hartnett went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Langan Naylor,
Wren Cecil and
Cayden Wotipka all had two hits each.
Game Two – LCC 11 Shoreline 0
Jack DeDonato went the distance on the hill. The big lefty game up just two singles, striking out four Dolphins.
Hartnett had two hits including an RBI double. Owen Cummings collected two hits including a run scoring double.
Blake Mattern drove in a run with a triple and had two ribbies in the game.
Game Three – LCC 10 Shoreline 8
Shoreline came up with a furious rally scoring eight runs in the last three innings to turn a 10-0 deficit into a close one.
Carson Kruckman preserved the win with a strikeout in the 9
th.
Starter
Owen Luchies went five shutout innings, allowing four hits with four strikeouts in getting the win.
The Devil bullpen struggled.
Ryan McClaskey had some control issues, walking five batters in 1 2/3 innings.
Kaden Harris gave up a pair of runs in 1 1/3 innings. Kruckman gave up two runs before his game ending strikeout.
The Lower Columbia offense had 11 hits. Naylor, Cecil, Vandine and Wotipka had two hits each. Hartnett drove in three runs.
Brayden Oram had a double and two RBI's.
Game Four – LCC 8 Shoreline 7
The Dolphins played with a lead for the first time when they took a 6-3 advantage after 3 ½ innings. The Devils regained the lead with four runs in the bottom of the 4
th highlighted by
Jace Nagler's RBI single.
With score tied 7-7 heading to the bottom of the 8
th, Wotipka scored on a wild play where he hit a double, then advanced all the way home on an errant throw by the Dolphins right fielder.
Josh Mejia came on and got the save with a shutout ninth including two strikeouts.
Starter
Noah Imboden went 2 2/3 innings allowing four runs. Three walks didn't help.
Stephen Hammergren also had three walks, allowing four hits and three runs in two innings of work.
Hunter Grasser got the victory by going 3 1/3 innings of scoreless baseball. Grasser gave up two hits with three strikeouts.
Wotipka had three hits in the game. Cummings had two singles. Cecil drove in a pair of runs. Shiotani walked four times.
The Devils are now 14-1 on the season. They return to action Friday March 15
th with a home doubleheader against Edmonds. First pitch at Story Field is 12 pm. The teams then go to Edmonds for a twin bill Saturday at 12 pm.
