LA GRANDE, Ore. – After Eastern Oregon came out hot in game one,
Ryan Prescott and
Izzy Madariaga took control of the LC State offense to lift the No. 5 Warriors to a run-rule victory in the second half of Tuesday's Cascade Conference doubleheader. EOU took the first contest 10-4 before LC State rallied for a 15-3 victory (7 innings) in game two.
The split has the LC State record at 34-7 overall and 26-7 in CCC play. Four games remain in the regular season and the Warriors are currently one game behind (RV) British Columbia in the conference standings.
GAME ONE: Eastern Oregon def. No. 5 LC State 10-4
EOU scored early and often to take control of the first game of the day. The Mountaineers tallied a run in both the first and second innings before a base hit by
Izzy Madariaga drove in a run for LC State in the top of the third.
Eastern Oregon responded with a four-run bottom of the third to grow its lead to 6-1 before another run in the fourth. The Mounties led 9-1 through six after a solo home run by Andrew Demianew.
After two more EOU runs in the bottom of the eighth, the Warriors rallied to cut into the deficit in the top of the ninth. Madariaga was hit by a pitch to start the frame before
Noah Weintraub sent a two-run shot of the wall in right.
Jackson Reed followed with a home run of his own, but that is as close as LC State would get in the 10-4 loss.
STAT RECAP
Madariaga led LC State with two hits and Weintraub drove in two runs.
Landon Webb and
Levi Anderson combined for the first six innings before
Bradley Deutsch tossed the final two.
GAME TWO: No. 5 LC State def. Eastern Oregon 15-3 (7 innings)
The Warriors got on the board first with back-to-back doubles by
Jackson Jaha and Madariaga.
Ryan Prescott made it a 3-0 lead with a solo homer in the second, and
Sebastian Laddusaw, in his first start of the season, worked two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Madariaga added to the lead with a home run in the top of the third and Laddusaw fanned the first two batters in the EOU half of the frame. The LC State defense turned a double play to erase a leadoff single in the fourth and back-to-back doubles by
Payton Smith and
Spencer Zeller kept the offense going in the next half inning.
A wild pitch moved Zeller to the third after his double in the fifth and Madariaga drove him in with a sacrifice fly for a 6-0 advantage. EOU answered with three runs in the home half of the fifth to cut the lead in half.
LC State put together a big inning in the top of the sixth.
Bo Stinson walked and stole second before
Cade Westerlund singled. Smith walked to load the bases and free passes to Zeller,
Anthony Karagiannopoulos and Madariaga brought in three runs.
A wild pitch plated Zeller to keep the frame going and Weintraub made it 11-3 with an RBI hit. Reed walked to load the bases again and Prescott notched a grand slam to push the lead to 15-3.
Zach Elsos worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh and ended the contest with a pair of strikeouts.
STAT RECAP
Madariaga, Prescott and Smith each had two hits with both of Prescott's being home runs. Prescott and Madariaga combined for 10 RBI in the contest.
Laddusaw was stellar in his first start with four strikeouts in four innings.
Joey Estrada earned the win with two innings of relief and Elsos faced the minimum in his frame.
UP NEXT
LC State concludes the regular season at home against Warner Pacific (Ore.) Apr. 24-26.
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