LONGVIEW, Washington – If Linn-Benton is going to repeat as NWAC baseball champions, they will have to do it by way of the loser’s bracket after dropping their opening game Thursday in the NWAC baseball playoffs.
The Roadrunners lost 6-5 to Wenatchee Valley, the second-seeded team from the NWAC East region. Linn-Benton entered the tournament as the top seed from the NWAC South. The Roadrunners will attempt to rebound Friday at 9:35 a.m., when they take on Pierce College, which lost 11-5 to Everett in the tourney opener.
In summary, LB took a 3-1 lead against Wenatchee in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Bryant Starr and a two-run single by Nick Biagi. However, Wenatchee rallied for five runs the next inning, taking a 6-3 lead in the fifth inning.
The Roadrunners chipped away at the lead, scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t get closer than the 6-5 final score. Beaks starter Emmett Stacher was tagged with the loss.
The double-elimination tournament continues Friday at David Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College. It wraps up Monday, May 25, with the championship game.
For more information and results on the tournament, see https://nwacsports.com/Championship_Central_Baseball.
