KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Warrior bats struggled to get going in the first half of Saturday’s doubleheader but woke up in the second game to help No. 8 LC State Baseball secure a split with Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls. OIT took the first game by a final of 13-3 before the Warriors rallied to take game two 10-5.
The split has the Warriors’ overall record at 19-8. LC State holds a one-game lead over OIT in the Cascade Conference standings with a 9-2 record.
GAME ONE: Oregon Tech def. No. 8 LC State 13-3 (7 Inn.)
Oregon Tech jumped in front with two runs in the bottom of the first and held the Warriors scoreless through the first three innings.
Jake Gish drove in the first LC State run of the contest in the top of the fourth. Nick Seamons was hit by a pitch to put a runner on before Gish doubled down the left field line to cut the OIT lead in half.
Starter Shane Spencer retired the Owls with a 1-2-3 fourth frame.
Base hits by Pu’ukani De Sa and Jakob Marquez got the Warrior offense going in the top of the fifth. Leo Rivera laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the pair into scoring position before an RBI-groundout by Carter Booth tied the contest.
A nine-run explosion by Oregon Tech gave the Owls a commanding 11-2 lead in the home half of the inning.
The Warriors tallied a run in the top of the sixth after Dominic Signorelli walked and took third on a base hit by Charlie Updegrave. A single up the middle by Brandon Cabrera brought the run in.
OIT added two more in the sixth and the game ended via the run rule after seven innings.
GAME TWO: No. 8 LC State def. Oregon Tech 10-5
The Owls carried the momentum over from game one into a four-run first inning in game two, but the Warriors answered with three in the top of the second.
Signorelli led off the frame with a double to right field, but a fielder’s choice had him out at third. Jack Sheward singled to keep the offense going and De Sa walked to load the bases. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Magnum Hofstetter plated a run and Booth walked to reload the bases. A base hit by Seamons cut the difference to 4-3.
Oregon Tech added a run in the bottom of the third, but the Warriors turned things around with a six-run sixth frame.
De Sa was hit by a pitch to start the inning and two outs quickly followed. LC State rallied for six two-out runs with a base hit by Seamons getting the bats going. Updegrave was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Gish drove in two to tie the game 5-5. Signorelli knocked in a pair with a base hit and a knock by Cabrera made it three straight singles. Cabrera stole second before a double by Sheward put the Warriors in front 9-5.
Jace Hanson, out of the bullpen, sat OIT down in order in the bottom of the inning with the help of a 4-6-3 double play.
Walks to Booth and Seamons proved costly for the Owls in the seventh. With two on, Updegrave extended the lead to 10-5 with a base hit.
Landon Webb took over on the mound in the eighth and shut out OIT through the final two innings.
Sheward led the offense with three hits in the contest. Seamons, Gish, Signorelli and Sheward each drove in two runs.
UP NEXT
The four-game Cascade Conference series at Oregon Tech concludes on Sunday with a contest starting at 11 a.m.
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