Heading into championship Monday, Tacoma needed one win to secure their first NWAC title. The Linn-Benton Roadrunners needed to win twice to claim their 2nd trophy in three years.
Game 14 – Linn-Benton 4, Tacoma 3 (10)
Linn-Benton took an early 1-0 lead in the 2nd inning on an RBI single by Connor Boyd. They added another run in the 6th on an RBI single by Ethan Buckley to make it 2-0.
Tacoma then rallied with a big 3-run home run by Logan Shepherd in the 7th inning to take a 3-2 lead. Linn-Benton was able to tie it up at 3-3 in the 9th when Kellen Segel scored on a wild pitch to send the game to extras.
In the top of the 10th, Linn-Benton plated the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly by Kace Naone. Their reliever Easton Corey came on in the bottom of the 10th and shut the door for his 2nd save of the tournament.
Ethan Kleinschmit had a fantastic start for Linn-Benton, throwing 6 perfect innings before allowing his first baserunner in the 7th. He was pulled in the inning finished allowing just 1 run on 1 hit while striking out 8. Russell Holly picked up the win in relief. For Tacoma, Elijah Higginbottom pitched well going 8 innings and allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 8 hits with 9 strikeouts.
Game 15 – Linn-Benton 7, Tacoma 4
Linn-Benton claimed the 2024 NWAC title with a hard-fought 7-4 win over Tacoma. The Roadrunners had to battle back after falling behind 2-0 in the first inning. Tacoma struck first on an RBI single by Logan Shepherd and an RBI walk by Zion Williams.
Linn-Benton got on the board in the second when Jake Dodge launched a solo home run to make it 2-1. They then seized the lead with a three-run fifth inning. Aidan Dougherty ripped a two-run single to score Connor Boyd and Evan Chadwick for a 3-2 advantage. Tacoma briefly retied it in the bottom half on Drew Johnson’s solo blast.
Linn-Benton broke the game open with a three-run sixth. Dodge had an RBI single and later scored on a wild pitch, while Cameron Ordway added an RBI single as well to make it 6-3. Tacoma scratched across a run on Julius Hooks’ sacrifice fly, but could get no closer.
In the ninth, the Roadrunners tacked on an insurance run on Jordan Hockett’s sacrifice fly scoring Kellen Segel. Reliever Gabe Brabec slammed the door with four scoreless innings of relief, with 9 strikeouts, to nail down the 7-4 victory and the championship for Linn-Benton.
All-Tournament Team (as announced by NWAC)
- MVP: Aidan Dougherty, Linn-Benton
- UTL: Kellen Segel, Linn-Benton
- C: Cam Gillespie, Edmonds
- INF: Logan Shepherd, Tacoma
- INF: Carson Hayes, Lower Columbia
- INF: Chase Cretti, Tacoma
- INF: Micah Coleman, Everett
- INF: Dom Longo, Spokane
- OF: Spencer Sullivan, Linn-Benton
- OF: Jordan Hockett, Linn Benton
- OF: Aden Dance, Tacoma
- OF: Drew Johnson, Tacoma
- P: Ethan Kleinschmit, Linn Benton
- P: Elijah Higginbottom, Tacoma
- P: Will Franklin, Edmonds
- P: Troy Shepard, Spokane
- P: Gabe Brabec, Linn Benton
- RP: Easton Corey, Linn-Benton