The Tacoma Titans and Lower Columbia Red Devils split an action-packed doubleheader on May 7, 2026, at David Story Field in Longview, Washington. Both games provided dramatic finishes, with Tacoma taking a high-scoring extra-inning battle in the opener before Lower Columbia salvaged the split with a thrilling walk-off victory in the nightcap.
In game one, the Titans outlasted the Red Devils for a 9-8 win in ten innings.
The offensive slugfest saw Tacoma erupt for five runs in the fifth inning to build a commanding lead, fueled by multiple RBI walks and a sacrifice fly by Braden Jones. However, Lower Columbia responded immediately in the bottom half of the frame, highlighted by a massive three-run home run off the bat of
Jackson Wendt to get the team back in the mix.
The Red Devils continued to chip away and ultimately tied the game at 8-8 in the seventh inning when
Sam Davidson and
Karsten Hansen hit back-to-back RBI singles. The contest remained deadlocked until the top of the tenth inning when Tacoma's Kaden Cretti delivered a clutch RBI single to score Clayton Crooks for the go-ahead run.
On the mound, Lower Columbia starter
Graham Learing tossed four innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Dante Santulli ultimately took the loss for the Red Devils after pitching four and two-thirds innings of relief, striking out five, but giving up the decisive run in the tenth.
Tacoma's relief pitcher Atticus Manning shut down Lower Columbia over the final three innings without allowing a hit to earn the win.
Game two was a much tighter pitching duel that ended in a dramatic 3-2 victory for Lower Columbia.
Red Devils starter
Quinn Hubbs delivered a dominant performance, striking out eight batters and allowing just two runs over seven strong innings.
Tacoma broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the sixth inning when Ethan Mar delivered a two-run single that brought home Ty Iddon and Kaden Cretti, giving the Titans a narrow 2-1 advantage.
Lower Columbia's bullpen kept the team within striking distance, as reliever
Rudy Larson pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts to keep Tacoma off the board. Larson's crucial late-game effort positioned him to ultimately claim the win.
Entering the bottom of the ninth inning with their backs against the wall, Lower Columbia engineered a stunning rally against Tacoma reliever Austin Nelson, who was saddled with the loss.
The late-game momentum shifted when
Jackson Noonan laced a double, prompting
Easton Marshall to enter as a pinch runner.
Sam Davidson then stepped up and ripped a clutch RBI double to score Marshall, evening the tally at 2-2. With the game on the line,
Karsten Hansen played the ultimate hero, delivering the game-winning walk-off hit. Hansen drove an RBI double to bring Davidson across the plate, sealing the comeback and giving the Red Devils a thrilling 3-2 victory to end the afternoon.
The Devils and Titans will finish off the four game series on Saturday, May 9, at Minnitti Field in Tacoma, WA at the campus of Tacoma Community College. First pitch is set for 12:00 pm.Â
Lower Columbia has already clinched the NWAC west region championship giving them an automatic bid into the NWAC Championships. The NWAC tournament is May 21 - 25, 2026 at David Story Field on Lower Columbia's campus.
Tickets for the tournament can be purchased thru the
nwacsports.com site.
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