ALBANY – Two of the NWAC South’s best collided on Saturday, March 14, as Linn-Benton hosted Lane for a doubleheader.
The Titans walloped LB in game one, 10-run-ruling the Roadrunners in a 12-2 contest that went seven innings. The Beaks served up some nice revenge, however, in the second game, snagging a 4-3 win.
“We’re all getting better every day and it’s not for ourselves. I know when I go out and get the opportunity to start the goal for me, the goal for all of us, is to do it for each other,” game two starter Lane Simonsen said.
In the first game, LBCC captured both of their runs before Lane got on the board after a Kellen Segel triple scored Chanz Flores. Segel stole home a couple batters later after another Roadrunner got caught stealing at second.
It was the top of the fifth where things unraveled for the home team.
Four hits, two errors, two bases on balls and a wild pitch resulted in a six-run inning for LCC.
The fifth soured what was, up to that point, a great start for pitcher Emmett Stacher — who ended up finishing the day with four earned runs (all in his last one-third of an inning) and four strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings of work.
Lane plated another three runs in the sixth in a similar fashion.
In the top of the seventh, LCC scored the final two runs of the game on two errors in the same play. When the Beaks didn’t answer with any runs in the bottom of the inning, the game was called.
LBCC finished the game with six errors.
Things went a bit more favorably for the Roadrunners in game two.
Lane got things started on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first. Right fielder Nick Biagi nearly made the throw but a collision at the plate made the play almost impossible for catcher Tyson McGrorty.
McGrorty scored in the bottom of the second off a Jack Lussier double to even the score.
Simonsen was effective with his three-pitch arsenal in his four innings of work. He allowed three hits and two runs and struck out four batters.
“My curveball isn’t a pitch I rely on as much as other pitches (as a strikeout pitch), but it’s definitely nice to have everything working for me. Some days pitches I don’t normally rely on as much can play a huge factor,” Simonsen said.
The freshman’s curveball, in tandem with his fastball, repeatedly stunned LCC hitters.
The Titans picked up two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, respectively, before LBCC recaptured control in the bottom of the fifth.
Flores scored Noah Scharer on a deep sacrifice fly, then Segel brought home Landon Lea on a single.
Lea and Scharer were the Roadrunners’ most active bats in this one, each going 2-3 with a run.
Freshman relief pitcher Evan Lehnert worked his way through the top of the sixth. Lehnert was making his second appearance of the year and ended up picking up his first win in his Roadrunner career.
“It’s good to bounce back. There was solid defense behind me, a supportive dugout. We all wanted to come back and get the W,” Lehnert said.
Scharer was the man that stepped up to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth.
With Lussier standing on second, Scharer jumped on a 1-0 pitch and roped a double.
“I was expecting a fastball in that count and I was thinking ‘stay through it’ and I did. Just happy to help the team win,” Scharer said.
After surrendering a wacky single that ricocheted off of his glove and then ended up in the hands of shortstop Bryant Starr, who ran out of time to make a play, Lehnert was replaced by Dayne Castillo.
Castillo got a crucial first out, but hit the next batter. Right after that, Castillo picked up a huge double-play ball that sealed victory for Linn-Benton, as well as a save for him.
“I just wanted to get an out in any way. That’s always the mindset, get whoever’s in front of me and don’t worry about anything else, it’s all just noise,” Castillo said.
The Roadrunners now sit at 15-3, and are 7-3 in region play, which ties them with Lane for second place.
LB plays next on Friday, March 20, at Mt. Hood. Those games are set to start at 1 and 4 p.m.
