SPRINGFIELD, Ore. – No. 5 LC State wrapped up the season series with Bushnell (Ore.) on Saturday with the second doubleheader split of the weekend. The Beacons took game one of the day by a final of 12-3 before the Warriors edged Bushnell 2-1 in the finale.
The split moves the LC State record to 33-6 overall and 25-6 in Cascade Conference play.
GAME ONE: Bushnell def. No. 5 LC State 12-3
Bushnell jumped on Warrior pitching with two home runs in the early innings that accounted for a 5-0 LC State deficit. The Warriors scored their first run of the contest in the top of the fourth after
Anthony Karagiannopoulos doubled to lead off the frame. A base hit by
Kooper Jones moved the runner into scoring position and a wild pitch made it 5-1.
The Beacons added on with two runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to grow the difference to 9-1.
LC State battled back in the top of the seventh with a pair of runs.
Izzy Madariaga homered to start the inning and
Sam Weber worked a walk before coming around to score on a pinch-hit double by
Cayden Wotipka.
Bushnell continued to utilize the long ball with two more home runs in the bottom of the seventh to extend its lead.
STAT RECAP
Jackson Jaha, Madariaga and Karagiannopoulos each had two hits in the game. Madariaga capped his hit streak at 17 games in the contest.
GAME TWO: No. 5 LC State def. Bushnell 2-1
LC State pitching continually worked the Warriors out of jams while
Brandon Nguyen and
Noah Weintraub did the damage at the plate.
Nguyen led off the contest with a solo shot to left center and
Jace Taylor struck out the side in the home half of the inning. Weintraub started the second inning with a home run of his own for a 2-0 edge and Taylor fanned two more in the bottom of the frame.
Tyler Logan took over on the mound in the fourth and gave up a solo home run to his first batter, but settled in through the fifth inning.
Zach Elsos came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth and recorded an inning-ending strikeout with the bases loaded, and
Zak Sullivan got the Warriors out of trouble in the home half of the seventh. Sullivan left the bases loaded in the eighth and worked around a leadoff walk in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save.
STAT RECAP
Offensively, Weber led the Warriors with two hits while Nguyen and Weintraub had the lone RBI of the game.
Taylor tossed three innings and struck out six. He allowed two hits and no runs. Logan earned the win with one run allowed in 2.2 innings. Sullivan was awarded his first save after he limited Bushnell to one hit and no runs in 2.2 innings.
UP NEXT
LC State will resume the series at Eastern Oregon on Apr. 21 with a doubleheader set for 1 p.m. The Warriors close out the regular season at home this weekend against Warner Pacific (Ore.).
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