Lower Columbia softball found some dry Eastern Washington weather over the weekend and kept busy playing six games in Pasco over three days. The Red Devils split a twin bill on Friday at Columbia Basin, then followed up going 3-1 in the NWAC Crossover on Saturday and Sunday at the Pasco Sporting Complex.
 
Pasco native Sawyer Stenson especially enjoyed the trip home, hitting her first five home runs of the season over the weekend. Sadie Knutson shined in the circle, throwing 17 2/3 innings in three appearances, including a one-hit shutout over Blue Mountain on Saturday, and earning two wins. Combined, Knutson fanned 19 hitters and walked none over her three games pitching.
 
A note of interest from the weekend – LCC scored four runs in the first inning in the first five games played, before tallying just a single run in the first inning of the final game on Sunday.
 
Lower Columbia is now 11-5. The Red Devils open NWAC South Region play with home doubleheaders on Friday at 3:00 p.m. vs. Clark and Saturday at noon vs. Grays Harbor. In between games on Saturday, LCC will honor the 1994 and 1999 NWAC Championship softball teams in a Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
 
Friday recap at Columbia Basin College:
Columbia Basin 12, Lower Columbia 7 – Things started well for Lower Columbia, as Kennewick-native Joelie Eder blasted a two-run home run that helped stake the Devils to a 4-0 lead. But the Hawks answered with an eight-run third inning to take the lead and LCC could not comeback.
 
Eder added another home run in the second inning and finished 2-3 with three RBI. Lexi Grumbois was 3-5 with a pair of doubles and Pasco-native Maliyah Twitty was 2-4 with a double. Alli Heater took the loss in the circle.
 
Lower Columbia 8, Columbia Basin 4 (5 innings, darkness) – Teeghan Reams proved to be the Devils stopper in the circle, holding the hard-hitting Hawks to just four hits over 4 2/3 innings. Heater was called from the bullpen and fanned the final two CBC hitters, before it became too dark to continue in the top of the sixth inning with a run in and two on base for Lower Columbia.
 
Raychel Squibb had the big blast for LCC, a grand slam in the top of the first inning. Eder and Stenson also went deep. Grumbois hit 3-4 and scored three runs, Eder added a double to go along with her HR, Stenson was 2-2 and Kaydence Mackin was 2-3 with two RBI.
 
Saturday recap at the NWAC Pasco Crossover:
Lower Columbia 11, Blue Mountain 3 (5 innings) – New day, same story for the Devils, plating four first inning runs. Eder hit a two-run homer, her seventh of the season, and later with two outs Teeghan Reams roped a two-run single. That was plenty of support for Heater, who went the distance for the win, while allowing just four hits, one earned run and striking out one.
 
Squibb was 3-4 with a two-run home run, Reams was 2-3 with three RBI and Stenson, Eder and Leanna Russell had two hits. Bella Aspaas added a double.
 
Lower Columbia 8, Douglas 0 (6 innings) – Knutson overpowered the Royals, striking out 10 and allowing just a lead-off triple in the fifth inning. She then struck out the side to end any Douglas rally hopes.
 
Another four-run first – compliments of RBI singles from Twitty and Reams and two Royals' bases loaded wild pitches – gave Knutson plenty of support. Consecutive doubles from Stenson and Squibb added three more runs. Then in the sixth, Stenson hit a no-doubt, mercy rule walk-off HR to close it out.
 
Sunday recap at the NWAC Pasco Crossover:
North Idaho 15, Lower Columbia 6 (6 innings) – Stenson's three-run home run and a Twitty sac fly again staked LCC to a 4-0 first inning lead. But it was short-lived, as the Cardinals plated 10 runs over the third and fourth innings to grab the come-from-behind mercy rule win.
 
Russell had three hits, while Grumbois and Reams each added a pair of safeties. Reams took the loss in the circle.
 
Lower Columbia 7, Treasure Valley 4 – The Devils completed the six-game weekend by grinding out a win over the gritty Chukars. Knutson did not match her Saturday pitching performance, allowing 11 hits TVCC hits. But she wiggled out of several situations, keyed by seven strike outs and sterling play by Russell at 2B.
 
Stenson wrapped her long ball weekend, blasting two more. Russell was 3-4 with two doubles and Twitty had two hits.
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