SALEM, Ore. – The No. 7 LC State Baseball team opened Cascade Conference play with a 3-1 record after earning a series victory over Corban University on Saturday. Despite pitching miscues in game one’s 9-8 loss, the LC Warriors rebounded for a 14-8 win in the series finale.
With the win today LC State it 13-7 overall. The Warriors play just their second home series of the season next weekend when Eastern Oregon visits Harris Field.
GAME ONE: Corban def. No. 7 LC State 9-8
LC State jumped in front with a pair of runs in the top of the second, but Corban quickly responded with three in the home half of the inning. A two-RBI double by Jack Sheward gave LC its momentary lead, but pitching miscues in the bottom of the second resulted in a 3-2 score in favor of the hosting Warriors.
Corban added on with a run in the third before two strikeouts by Brady Maylett got LC out of the inning. Walks to Sheward and Leo Rivera put two on for the LC Warriors in the top of the fourth. One run game in on a sacrifice fly by Nicks Seamons before Charlie Updegrave tied the contest 4-4 with an RBI-single.
Two Corban hits plated the go-ahead in the back-and-forth contest to give the home team a 5-4 advantage in the fourth. LC answered with four in the top of the fifth after free passes to Dominic Signorelli and Brandon Cabrera put two on to start the inning. Pu’ukani De Sa doubled to right to plate one before a sacrifice fly by Sheward put LC in front 6-5. Rivera tacked on a sacrifice fly and Carter Booth hit a solo shot for an 8-5 lead.
After scoring once in the sixth, Corban was held off the board until the hosting Warriors manufactured three runs in the bottom of the eighth in comeback fashion. Corban shut down the Warrior offense in the top of the ninth to secure its only win of the series.
Booth and De Sa each had two hits in the contest and Sheward drove in three runs. Jace Hanson took the loss on the mound after giving up three runs, one earned, in 1.1 innings of relief.
GAME TWO: No. 7 LC State def. Corban 14-8
Corban again jumped in front in the final game of the series with a run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second. LC State evened the contest in the top of the third without recording a hit.
Walks to Booth and Seamons, as well as a hit-by-pitch for Signorelli, loaded the bases for Cabrera. With two outs, an error in the outfield on a ball hit by Cabrera allowed all three runners on base to score and tie the contest.
LC State notched its first hits of the game in the fourth to take the lead. Magnum Hofstetter, Booth, Seamons and Updegrave combined for four straight hits to give the LC Warriors a 6-3 advantage and Corban miscues with walks and errors made it 7-3.
Corban tallied a run in the fourth before Decker Stedman took over on the mound and struck out a batter to end the inning. He fanned three in a 1-2-3 fifth.
LC State grew its lead in the in the sixth with three more runs. Jake Gish walked and Signorelli singled before stealing second. A wild pitch plated a run and Cabrera drove in another and a single through the left side before stealing second himself. A sacrifice fly by Jakob Marquez made it 10-4.
Stedman worked a quick sixth and the LC Warrior bats went back to work in the seventh.
Updegrave reached on a fielder’s choice that erased a leadoff double by Booth. Gish doubled to knock in Updegrave for an 11-4 advantage in the seventh.
Jake Green came out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and one out in the home half of the seventh and shut the door with a pair of strikeouts to get LC State out of a jam.
The LC Warriors pushed the advantage to double-digits in the top of the ninth with a trio of runs. Booth singled and stole second and Updegrave walked. Back-to-back singles by Gish and Signorelli brought three runs across to make it 14-4.
Corban rallied in the home half of the ninth to score four runs, but LC State held on for the 14-8 victory.
Booth led LC State with three hits in the contest and Updegrave, Gish and Signorelli each drove in two.
Jadon Williamson earned the win on the mound after 3.2 innings in his start. He struck out six, as did Stedman in 2.2 frames. Green fanned five in 1.2 innings.
UP NEXT
LC State is back at home next weekend to host Eastern Oregon in a four-game Cascade Conference series at Harris Field. The pair of doubleheaders is set for March 23-24.
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