Story Photos
 LCC’s Shawn Peterson leaps to avoid the tag of Centralia catcher A.J. Smith, of Ilwaco, as LCC scored five runs in the first inning of the first game of their doubleheader on Sunday at David Story Field. LCC won the game 12-0 in five innings. Bill Wagner / The Daily News
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LCC blasts Centralia in doubleheader
Monday, April 14, 2008 7:02 AM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articleAfter dropping the first game of Saturday's doubleheader to Green River, Lower Columbia College baseball coach Kelly Smith was hoping his Red Devils would bounce back in Sunday's doubleheader with Centralia.
Smith's troops responded by pounding out nine hits for a 12-0 5-inning victory in the scheduled 7-inning opener, and collecting another nine hits in a 10-0 7-inning victory in the slated 9-inning nightcap.
The sweep on David Story field put the Devils on a three-game winning streak and kept them in second place in the NWAACC Western Division at 10-17, 6-3 in league. Centralia, which has lost seven straight games, is now 1-23, 1-8 in league.
"We talked about how we snuck one out on Saturday, and now this is a good streak," Smith said. "We haven't been on a good streak all season because early on we played well for a few games before giving one away. We'd like to win a couple against Grays Harbor before we start the second half of the season with a good Pierce team."
Wednesday's scheduled nonleague game with Bellevue has been changed to April 23 at 6 p.m. on Story Field. LCC is idle until Saturday when it entertains Grays Harbor in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
"We're in second place and we have to play our hearts out for the remainder of the season," Smith said. "It's not like we can go on cruise control because we have to win every game. Tacoma (Western Division leader) probably isn't going to lose many more games, so we have to be focused."
In the opener, Devils pitcher Chad Wagner was hyper-focused. The sophomore from Sequim checked Centralia on three hits with an 89 mile-per-hour fastball along with a nasty curveball. Of his 66 pitches, 50 were strikes.
"Chad was only going to pitch five innings because he's struggled in the sixth inning, but we weren't going to take him out today," Smith said. "Our Achille's heel this season has been walking batters and getting behind in the count, but Chad was particularly sharp in that area."
Wagner had only three instances where his first pitch was called a ball, and he backed each situation with a strike to not fall behind in the count.
The Devils gave Wagner ample run support from the beginning by roughing up Centralia starter Mike Guthrie for five runs, highlighted by a three-run double into the left field corner by shortstop Brooks Lindsley.
Luke Zirkle belted a two-run homer that sailed more than 20 feet beyond the 350 sign in right field that pushed the Devils ahead 7-0 in the third inning, and LCC added five runs in the fifth inning to put an early end to the game via the 10-run mercy rule.
Zirkle opened the fifth inning with a double to centerfield, and scampered to third on a base hit from Bo Lybeck. Jeremy Lorence singled to plate Zirkle, and back-to-back walks to Alex Lovell and Jett Hart loaded the bases.
Sean Winston lined a 1-0 pitch into the right-center field gap off Centralia reliever Justin Henning to score Lorence, Lovell and Hart.
"It helps a lot when you get a 5-spot in the first inning," Smith said. "It gets the other team's dobber down, and then it's a matter of putting the pedal down on them. Our chances of winning are also pretty good when they're not scoring."
Tyler Lichty had an equally impressive outing in his nightcap start. The freshman from Sagle, Idaho allowed two hits and struck out six through five innings before stepping aside for relievers Alex Levin and Conor Spink.
Lichty also threw his fastball at 89 miles per hour, and had 48 of his 76 pitches cross the plate for strikes.
"Tyler is making his way back and getting his velocity up from where he's been," Smith said. "I'm happy with the way all of the pitchers threw strikes because they all have good stuff."
Levin, a lefthander from Wilsonville, Ore., struck out two of the three batters he faced in the sixth inning. Spink, from Alaska and also a lefty, gave up one of Centralia's three hits before coaxing the last two batters he faced into ground outs to end the game.
LCC scored twice in the first inning, highlighted by a base hit by Lindsley and a sacrifice fly from Zirkle, and exploded for five runs in the third inning. Lindsley, Zirkle and Shawn Peterson milked consecutive walks to load the bases, Lybeck swatted a bases-clearing double to the right field fence, stole third base and came home on a passed ball. Tyler Davis followed with a double to the left field gap, and later scored on a base hit from Alex Lovell.
The Devils added two insurance runs in the sixth when Winston beat out an infield single and scored when Karlis Liepa coaxed a bases-loaded walk, and Nic Shadle came home when Lybeck also cajoled a free pass with the bases full.
Shadle knocked in the game-winner in the seventh with a double to right field that scored Hart.
"We're working on being more aggressive and making every at-bat count," Smith said. "We tend to relax so it's a continual fight to not waste at-bats with pop-ups."
Lybeck finished with two of LCC's nine hits.
GAME 1
Red Devils 12, Trailblazers 0
Centralia 000 00 - 0 3 2
Lower Col. 502 05 -12 9 2
Mike Guthrie, Justin Henning (5) and A.J. Smith; Chad Wagner and Bo Lybeck.
GAME 2
Red Devils 10, Trailblazers 0
Centralia 000 000 0 - 0 3 2
Lower Col. 205 002 1 - 10 9 1
Chris Wasson, Nick Decker (3), Jeremy Taraya (6) and A.J. Smith, Justin Henning (5); Tyler Lichty, Alex Levin (6), Conor Spink (7) and Bo Lybeck.
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