Lower Columbia continued its hot streak to open the season, hitting seven home runs in a 9-1, 11-3 home doubleheader sweep on Friday over Chemeketa. With a pair of wins in the South Region opener, the Red Devils now stand 10-0 overall and 2-0 in region play. Saturday's scheduled DH vs. Umpqua was rained out and will be made up at a date to be announced.
In the match-ups with Chemeketa, the Red Devils again showed a winning combination of power at the plate, outstanding pitching and a solid defensive effort (just one error). LCC has hit 26 long balls in the early season, second only to Southwestern Oregon's 30. The Lakers have played four more games than the Devils.
Along with the eye-popping offense, the combined work of freshman pitchers
Jadyn Terry,
Cerenity Fake,
Ava Eib and
Zoey Hughes has impressed as well. In the 10 games played that group has combined to throw 54 innings, piling up 90 strikeouts with just 19 walks and an earned run average of 0.98.
Game recap from March 14
Game 1 – Lower Columbia 9, Chemeketa 1 (5 innings): The Storm opened the scoring with a run in the 1st, which was the first time Lower Columbia had trailed in a game in the early season. That changed quickly in the 2nd when
Allison Baumgart hammered a two-run shot, followed by a
Shaz Ancheta solo home run.
An inning later Baumgart went deep again.
Hailey Brooks (three-run shot) and
Kaydence Mackin also hit bombs in the six-run 3
rd inning.
Katelyn Swanson added a ringing RBI double and
Lexi Grumbois also doubled for LCC.
Terry started in the circle and was effective in her three innings, before Fake came out of the bullpen to close it out. The Red Devil righties combined to throw a four-hitter with three Ks and two walks.
Game 2 – Lower Columbia 11, Chemeketa 3 (5 innings): After LCC went up early 2-0 on Brooks' RBI triple and a Baumgart sacrifice fly, the Storm took the lead with a three-run home run in the 2
nd inning. But it was all Red Devils after that.
Gabi Silveria smoked her first college home run, a two-run shot in the 2
nd inning.
Emma Langsi added an RBI single in the 3rd, before LCC scored three runs in the 4
th and 5
th innings to close it out.
Joelie Eder had two RBI doubles in the late innings, Ancheta added an RBI single and Grumbois closed the scoring with a right-field, shed-rattling two-run homer.
Grumbois had three hits overall, Silveria and Eder each had two and Terry added a double.
The Devil's power show supported the work in the circle by Eib and Hughes. Eib struck out eight Storm hitters in her four innings of work and Hughes closed it out with a scoreless 5
th inning.
Next up for Lower Columbia is a home doubleheader vs. Clark College on Friday, March 21 at 3:00 p.m.
