(Longview, WA) – The top ranked Lower Columbia baseball team inched a little closer to league play by taking three of four games with the Edmonds Tritons on Friday and Saturday March 15 and 16.
LCC swept a pair of games at Story Field on Friday. The teams split a doubleheader Saturday at Tritons Field in Edmonds.
Game One – LCC 9 Edmonds 3
Hunter Lutman got the victory as he went 5 1/3 innings giving up just three hits with six strikeouts.
Royce Vandine had a productive game at the plate by driving in three runs with two sacrifice fly's and an RBI groundout. Vandine had a hit and scored two runs.
Owen Cummings got the offense started with an RBI single in the first inning. Cummings also coaxed a bases loaded walk for another RBI.
Brayden Oram went 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The bullpen featured two Kaden's.
Kaden Harris went 2 2/3, allowing three hits and two runs with three strikeouts.
Kaden Larson finished with a clean ninth inning including two strikeouts.
Game Two – LCC 4 Edmonds 3
Pitching was again good for the Devils. Starter
Jack DeDonato went six innings, allowing five hits and three runs. Reliever
Stephen Hammergren had one of his best college outings by going three hitless innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
LCC leadoff hitter
Langan Naylor went 3 for 5. Two hole hitter
Wren Cecil was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Cayden Wotipka had the big hit of the game, a two-run single in the bottom of the third inning giving the Devils the lead they would not give up.
LCC scored two more in the 4
th on a
Carson Hayes RBI bunt and a Cecil RBI single.
Jake Smith had a triple.
Game Three – LCC 4 Edmonds 3 (10 innings)
The first game at Edmonds went extra innings. The Devils scored an unearned run in the top of the 10
th when Naylor's groundball was misplayed by the Tritons second baseman.
The Devils had a 2-0 lead through 7 ½ innings before Edmonds broke through with three runs off
Carson Kruckman in the bottom of the 8
th inning. Kruckman pitched well until he gave up a two-run double in the 8
th part of a three-run Edmonds rally to tie the game.
Red Devil starter
Owen Luchies was very effective, scattering five hits over 5 1/3 innings with five strikeouts. Reliever
Aaron Platner had a good outing going 1 2/3 allowing no hits and punching out three Tritons batters.
Cummings was 3 for 4 with two RBI's.
Game Four – Edmonds 4 Lower Columbia 3
The Devils offense was stymied by Edmonds starter Lathan Haywood who went the distance in the 7 inning game. Haywood allowed two runs and five hits and struck out eight LCC batters.
Wotipka had a double and a triple for LCC.
LCC starter
Noah Imboden ran into trouble in the second and third innings. The sophomore lefty went 2 2/3 innings allowing four hits and three runs. Reliver
Hunter Grasser pitched well, allowing two hits and no runs in 1 1/3 frames.
Josh Mejia gave up a hit and a run in two innings of work with four strikeouts.
The Devils are ready to hit the road has they travel to Pasco for a four game series with the Columbia Basin Hawks. Friday's doubleheader begins at 12 pm on the CBC campus. The teams will play two games Saturday, also at 12 pm.
Lower Columbia is 17-2 on the season.
