PORTLAND, OR – No. 21 LC State Baseball completed the four-game sweep of Warner Pacific (Ore.) on Sunday with wins in both halves of a doubleheader. Warrior pitching struck out 12 batters in each game and totaled 23 hits.
The victories improve the Warrior record to 12-2 overall and 4-2 in Cascade Conference play. Only the first game of the day was a CCC contest.
GAME ONE: No. 21 LC State def. WPU 5-3
Jackson Cloud struck out two in the bottom of the first and a three-run blast by Cade Westerlund put the Warriors up 3-0 in the second. Anthony Karagiannopoulos led off the frame with a double and Bulla Ephan walked to put two on for Westerlund.
Jackson Jaha doubled in the top of the third to keep the offense going for LC State. Bryce Johnson singled to put Warriors on the corners, then an error plated Jaha to make it 4-0.
The Knights struck for a run in the fourth with a solo shot to put a dent in the Warrior lead.
LC State added a run in the top of the sixth after a base hit by Jordan Justice. He took second on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI single by Westerlund.
Warner Pacific tacked on two runs on three hits in the home half of the sixth, with the runs charged to Cloud, before Mason Goodson got LC State out of the inning. Goodson fanned two in the seventh and two in the eighth to hold the lead. He closed out the contest with a 1-2-3 ninth.
STAT RECAP
Westerlund led the Warriors at the plate with three hits and four RBI. Jaha tallied two hits in the contest.
Cloud earned his third win of the season on the mound with seven strikeouts in 5.2 innings. Goodson was awarded the save after five strikeouts in 3.1 innings without a run allowed.
GAME TWO: No. 21 LC State def. WPU 10-4
After three no-hit innings by Kason O’Neil, LC State notched a four-run inning with two outs in the fourth. Zane Bidwell was hit by a pitch before Brandon Nguyen and Sam Weber both tallied RBI singles and stolen bases. Weber stole third then scored on an error, and Jackson Reed kept the inning going with a walk. Jaha singled to left and stole second which brought in Reed to make it 4-0.
LC State busted the game open in the top of the fifth with four more runs. Bidwell singled and Nguyen was hit by a pitch, then one scored on a double down the left field line by Weber. Reed was hit and Jaha drove in one with a base hit to center. Izzy Madariaga earned a free pass to bring in another run and a wild pitch capped the inning with the Warriors ahead 8-0.
The Knights scratched a pair of runs across in the home half of the fifth to shrink the margin to 8-2.
Pitching woes plagued Warner Pacific in the seventh after a pair of free passes put Jaha and Madariaga on base. Kooper Jones singled to load the bases before a balk brought in a run and an RBI groundout by Bidwell made it 10-2.
Tyler Logan gave up a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh and Zach Elsos did the same in the eighth. Elsos closed out the contest with a strikeout.
STAT RECAP
Weber led the offense with three hits and two RBI and LC State swiped six bags. Nguyen and Weber each stole two bases.
O’Neil earned the win on the mound with five strikeouts in five innings. Logan struck out four in two frames and Elsos struck out two in his two innings.
