Red Devils win two, take first place
Monday, April 28, 2008 12:08 AM PDT
By Rick McCorkle
Printable version
E-mail this articlePrior to Sunday's doubleheader with Tacoma, Lower Columbia College baseball coach Kelly Smith told his nephew, Titans' coach Donegal Fergus, that he'd be happy to win one of the games and have the teams tied atop the NWAACC Western Division standings.
But the Red Devils weren't gracious hosts as they pounded Tacoma 11-2 in the 7-inning opener, and continued their assault on the Titans with a 9-1 victory in the 9-inning nightcap.
The sweep of Tacoma, coupled with the doubleheader sweep of Pierce at home on Saturday, moved the Red Devils to the top of the division standings at 14-3, 19-17 overall. The losses dropped Tacoma out of first place and two games behind LCC at 12-5, 17-16 overall.
LCC, which has won 11 consecutive games, entertains Green River in a doubleheader at David Story Field on Saturday.
"That's how I envisioned how we'd play at the beginning of the season," Smith said. "I thought during the season we weren't bad but played below our capabilities. This is the first time they played back-to-back games the way they're supposed to do it, the way they were taught. They beat a very good Tacoma team twice and looked good doing it."
LCC had only six hits in the opener, and did most of its damage converting 13 walks and a hit batter into eight runs.
"Their starters imploded as did their bullpen," Smith said of the Titans' pitchers. "They did a good job against us when we played them in Tacoma, but they gave us the game. Any team is good if it gets enough walks, and a walk is a very valuable tool despite the fact I make light of it all the time."
Trailing 1-0 in the first inning, LCC's Jett Hart, Richie Allen and Brooks Lindsley coaxed walks off Tacoma starter Evan Wilson that loaded the bases. Luke Zirkle followed with a fielder's choice that scored Hart but erased Lindsley at second base.
Shawn Peterson re-loaded the bases with a free pass, and catcher Bo Lybeck belted a 1-1 fastball over the "Call Before You Dig" advertising sign mounted above the right field fence for a grand slam.
"It really helped to get a bolt like Bo's in the first inning," Smith said. "It got Tacoma's dobbers really down after that."
LCC chased Wilson in the third inning when he issued consecutive one-out walks to Peterson and Lybeck. Tacoma reliever Christian Faria didn't fare much better as he walked Nic Shadle to load the bases, issued a free pass to Tyler Davis that scored Peterson, and hit Hart with a pitch to score Lybeck.
Faria exited the game in the fourth inning after giving up a one-out walk to Zirkle, who scored when Peterson belted a first-pitch fastball off the left-center field wall for a double.
In the fifth, the Devils touched Titans' reliever Jacob Rose for two runs, hightlighted by base hits from Hart, Sean Winston and Lindsley, and walks to Davis and Zirkle.
While the LCC hitters were riding the basepath carousel, Devils' pitcher Chad Wagner was holding the Tacoma offense at bay. Wagner didn't have his best stuff, but scattered five hits through four innings before yielding to Zirkle.
"Chad had trouble getting his breaking pitches over but managed to throw his fastball for strikes when it counted," Smith said. "It's nice to have relievers who can come in and get the job done. Luke spotted his fastball and consistently got his breaking ball over."
In the nightcap, Brian Erickson used his first start of the year as a possible springboard into the LCC starting rotation. The sophomore right-hander scattered three hits, struck out six batters and walked three through six innings before yielding to Michael Greene, who held the Titans hitless and struck out four in three innings.
"Brian has been waiting all season to get out of the relief role, and he was outstanding in shutting down a very good offensive team," Smith said. "He came out of the game after throwing 80 pitches (86 pitches including 54 strikes) and he hadn't gone that far this season. Michael also came in and probably had his best outing of the year."
LCC scored once in the first inning and exploded for four runs in the third, highlighted by a Lindsley home run that landed halfway up the roof of the batting barn in dead-center field, more than 400 feet from home plate.
The Devils stretched their lead to 6-0 in the fourth with two runs. What impressed Smith the most about the fourth inning tallies wasn't how many runs they scored, but when they were scored.
"The most important inning for us was the fourth when we were able to score twice with two outs and no one on," he said. "That really put the hammer down on them (the Titans). It's what I've been looking for all season, the killer instinct."
Hart and Winston each stroked two-out singles to left field, and Allen followed with a triple to right-center field that bounced under the right fielder's glove and rolled to the base of the fence.
"After the games, Donegal had a compliment for us by saying that was the pitching that none of the other teams in the division had seen from us this season," Smith said. "That's the way we can pitch, and we'll score runs to back it because we're opportunistic. It was a very good day to put us two games up in the standings, but it's not even close to being over yet."
Game 1: Red Devils 11, Titans 2
Tacoma 101 000 0- 2 6 0
Lower Col. 503 120 x-11 6 1
Evan Wilson, Christian Faria (3), Jacob Rose (4), Dan McConnaughey (6) and Anthony Dallosto; Chad Wagner, Luke Zirkle (5) and Bo Lybeck, Bas Nooij (7).
Game 2: Red Devils 9, Titans 1
Tacoma 000 001 000-1 3 4
Lower Col. 104 200 02x-9 6 0
Jesse Nunley, Erik Hoium (5), Jason Hollinger (8) and Anthony Dallosto; Brian Erickson, Mike Greene (7) and Bo Lybeck, Bas Nooij (6).
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