CALDWELL, ID – Charlie Updegrave continued to be a threat every time he stepped in the box and Jadon Williamson gave the Warriors a stellar start to help No. 7 LC State Baseball defeat The College of Idaho 6-4 in Cascade Conference play. The victory secured the series win for the Warriors in the three-game CCC set.
The fourth game of the weekend was canceled after field conditions delayed the start of the first game of the day. The contest would not have counted towards CCC records.
Updegrave, voted the Cascade Conference Player of the Week on Monday after going 7-for-10 in Saturday’s doubleheader, was 1-for-2 on the Monday with two RBI. Williamson tossed five innings with seven strikeouts to earn his first win.
“We managed to escape with a win today against a competitive C of I squad,” coach Jake Taylor said. “As we are working to improve in every facet of our game, it was nice to close that game out. This week will be another large test for us as we head north of the border to play UBC. Excited for the challenge.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Warriors wasted no time getting on the board with two runs in the first inning. Ike George walked to lead off the contest and back-to-back hits by Brandon Cabrera and Updegrave plated George. A Yote error on a ball hit by Jack Sheward gave LC State a 2-0 edge.
The first two C of I batters reached in the home half of the first, but a double play turned by Izzy Madariaga, Anthony Karagiannopoulos and Abe Affholter gave LC momentum. Williamson struck out a batter to end the threat.
George doubled in the top of the second and took third on a wild pitch. A sacrifice fly by Cabrera gave the Warriors a 3-0 advantage.
Williamson struck out one in the second, two in the third and one in a 1-2-3 fourth inning. The righty fanned two in the fifth to keep C of I off the board.
The Warriors added on in the sixth with a run without recording a hit. Bulla Ephan was hit by a pitch and Spencer Zeller took over on the bases as the courtesy runner. Zeller took second on a wild pitch before moving to third on sacrifice bunt by George, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Updegrave.
Robby Butenschoen came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth and no outs. Two runs came in, credited to Wiliamson, before Butenschoen ended the frame.
LC State answered in the top of the seventh with two runs to grow the lead to 6-2. Sheward walked and scored from first on a double to left center by Madariaga. Ephan walked and a botched pick off attempt at first moved Madariaga to third. He scored on a pinch hit by Garrett Bevacqua.
Butenschoen fanned two in the seventh before Jackson Cloud was called into a bases-loaded jam. He induced a pop up to end the inning. The Yotes struck for a run in the bottom of the eighth with two hits and an error. Freshman Levi Anderson took over on the mound and forced a pair of groundouts.
The Yotes tried to rally in the bottom of the ninth as two walks and a hit plated a run to make it 6-4. Zachary Ediger came out of the bullpen and ended the game with a strikeout.
STAT RECAP
George, Sheward and Madariaga each tallied two hits in the contest and Updegrave drove in two runs with a 1-for-2 day. Madariaga doubled twice.
Williamson earned the win after tossing five innings and striking out seven. He allowed one earned run. Butenschoen fanned three in his 1.2 innings. Ediger earned the save when he recorded the final out.
UP NEXT
The Warriors head north to Canada this weekend to take on No. 24 British Columbia. The series in Vancouver, B.C., is set for Feb. 28-Mar. 2.