Cascade Collegiate Conference recap for March 31

Oregon Tech defeated Lewis-Clark State, and British Columbia swept Eastern Oregon.

Ka’ala Tam – Photo by Courtney Blumer

At Klamath Falls, OR. Oregon Tech 9, Lewis-Clark State 7. A game that was close all the way. The Warriors took a 6-5 lead in the top of the sixth on an RBI double by Dominic Signorelli, and increased it to 7-5 in the top of the eighth when Carter Booth came home on a double play. The Hustlin’ Owls got to within one run with a sacrifice fly by Julien Jones in the bottom of the eighth, then won it with a bases-loaded triple by Ka’ala Tam. The Warriors opened the top of the ninth with a double by Brandon Cabrera, but the Owls brought in Riley Cronin, and he struck out two of the three batters he faced.

Ryan Poling, who pitched the eighth inning and faced Cabrera in the ninth inning, got the win, allowed one hit. The Warriors used eight pitchers. Zachary Ediger, who faced four batters in the eighth inning and gave up the triple by Tam, got the loss. Tam finished 2-for-3 with four RBI. Cabrera finished 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. recap

The Owls and Warriors split the four-game series with two games apiece.

Keegan Lott

At La Grande, OR. First game: British Columbia 14, Eastern Oregon 10. The Mountaineers led 6-5 after five innings, but the Thunderbirds scored eight runs in the top of the sixth inning to win it. Russell Young got it started with a two-RBI double. Aaron Marsh and Jonny McGill hit RBI singles, then Keegan Lott, a first-year student playing his second game for the Thunderbirds, hit a grand slam home run. They added another run when Mitch Middlemiss scored on a passed ball in the top of the eighth. The Mountaineers made it interesting in the bottom of the ninth. Pinch-hitter Mason Van Arsdall, making his 20^th at-bat this season, hit a two-run home run with one out. Thunderbird pitcher James Brock struck out the next batter for the second out, but the next batter, pinch-hitter Benat Van Hoose, hit a single, and the following batter, Mario Landeros, hit a home run, cutting the Thunderbird lead to four runs. The Thunderbirds had to bring in Adam Khan to get the final out, and he got it done with a ground out.

Daniel Orfaly started and got the win for the Thunderbirds, pitched five innings, allowed six runs on nine hits, struck out three. He was relieved by Brock, who allowed only two hits until the ninth inning, struck out six. Jeter Larson, who was charged with four of the sixth-inning runs without recording an out, got the loss. Marsh finished 3-for-6 with a double and an RBI. Lott finished 2-for-3 with 4 RBI and a walk. Parker Cumberland finished 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI for the Mountaineers. Landeros also went 3-for-4, had four RBI.

Trent Lenihan – photo by Rich Lam, UBC Athletics

Second game: British Columbia 18, Eastern Oregon 8. Halted after seven innings by the mercy rule. The Mountaineers led 5-1 after two innings, the result of a grand slam home run by Parker Cumberland. The Thunderbirds tied it with four runs in the top of the third, three of them on a home run by Mitchell Middlemiss. They took an 8-5 lead in the top of the fourth with a three-run home run by Trent Lenihan. The Mountaineers wouldn’t go away, however. They tied it again in the bottom of the fourth when Chase Nett hit an RBI single and scored on an error, and Trevor Baker hit an RBI single. It was all Thunderbirds the rest of the way. They put it away with five runs in the to of the fifth, led by a three-RBI double by Lenihan. They got two more runs in the sixth, and completed the mercy rule win in the top of the seventh with a two-RBI single by Kyle Anderson and an RBI single by David Draayers.

Starter Will Anderson got the win, but it was Evan Hoegler who kept the Mountaineers scoreless over the final three innings, allowed two hits, struck out one. Tucker Zander got the loss. Lenihan finished 4-for-4 with a home run, a double, and eight RBI. Joey Freitas finished 2-for-4 with a home run for the Mountaineers. recap from British Columbia site recap from Eastern Oregon site

The Thunderbirds and Mountaineers split the four-game series with two games apiece. The Thunderbirds will play an exhibition game vs. the Class A Vancouver Canadians on April 3. All three CCC series this weekend were 2-2 splits.

Standings:

* Lewis-Clark State is #5 in Strength of Schedule