LEWISTON, Idaho – The Bushnell Beacons used a program-record 20 hits to make a statement against No. 5 LC State in the opening round of the 2024 Cascade Conference Baseball Championship, presented by U.S. Bank, on Saturday. Bushnell snapped the Warriors' winning streak with a 13-5 final score.
Both two seeds fell on Saturday, so top-seeded LC State will face second-seeded Oregon Tech in the second game on Sunday. Third-seeded UBC will take on fourth-seeded Bushnell at 11 a.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Bushnell got on the board first with a run off of
Drake George. A hit and three free passes put the Beacons up 1-0 before the Warrior starter ended the bases-loaded threat with a pair of strikeouts.
Jake Gish answered for LC State quickly with a go-ahead homer in the home half of the inning.
Brandon Cabrera walked and stole second for his 17
th bag of the season. Gish came to the plate with two outs in the frame and sent a ball deep into the left field bleachers for a 2-1 Warrior advantage.
The Beacons added a pair of runs to their total in the top of the second to regain the lead at 3-2, and LC State responded in the next half inning.
Pu'ukani De Sa and
Bulla Ephan each walked and
Ike George took over on the bases for Ephan.
Magnum Hofstetter put down a successful sacrifice bunt to move both into scoring position and both advanced on a sacrifice fly by
Carter Booth. Cabrera ripped the first pitch he saw into left field to put the Warriors back on top 4-3.
Bushnell threatened once again in the top of the third before two strikeouts by
Drake George worked LC out of the jam. Gish walked and
Nick Seamons tripled off the wall in center to grow the margin to 5-3.
Bushnell's Jordan Wilson lined into a double play to Gish at first, but the Beacons loaded the bases with two outs and Cade Crist capitalized with a grand slam for a 7-5 advantage. The big Bushnell hits continued in the fifth to grow the LC State deficit to 11-5 before two more runs in the ninth made it 13-5.
Drake George took the loss for the first time this season.
Jantzen Lucas,
Tucker Grote and
Eli Takalo all threw in relief.
Seamons tallied two hits for LC State and Gish drove in two runs.
UP NEXT
LC State will play in the second game of the day against Oregon Tech on Sunday following the 11 a.m. contest. Rain is in the forecast, so stayed tuned to social media for updates.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.
