(Kelso, WA) – The Lower Columbia College softball team turned a frown upside down by rallying to split an NWAC South double header with Southwestern Oregon on Wednesday May 4
th.
The Lakers showed their strength with a 12-1 victory in the first game. The Devils showed their grit with a 7-6 victory in the nightcap.
The Devils could muster just three singles off SWOCC pitcher Alyssa Smokey in the first game. Smokey worked around seven walks to get the victory.
Maddie Curaming's RBI single provided the lone run for LCC.
Jade Behic went three innings for the Devils and took the loss.
Mallory Brown made her season debut in the circle with 2 1/3 innings.
Rylee Peters finished the game by getting the last two outs in the game shortened to six innings by the mercy rule.
Instead of sulking, the Devils decided to compete in the second game. Peters, who was hit by a vicious line drive the last time the teams met in Coos Bay, came up with her best outing of the year. She went seven innings allowing six runs, four earned, against the talented offensive of the Lakers.
And Peters also came up with her first home run of the year. Two other Devils picked a great time to get their first home run.
Katie Adkins went deep and
Sunny Bennion hit two homers in the game.
Down 4-0 after the top of the third, Bennion got things going with a solo blast. Behic then made it 4-2 with an RBI double.
Peters solo blast in the 4
th got LCC within one at 4-3.
Katelyn McGough tied it up in the 5
th inning with her 17
th homer of the season. The Devils took the lead with Brown's bases loaded walk.
Southwestern came back to regain the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth. LCC then answered in the bottom of the 6
th with Bennion's second homer of the day followed by Adkins solo homer.
Peters closed it out in the top of the 7
th by working around a two-out walk to lock down the victory.
LCC head coach
Traci Fuller was really proud of the way her team came back in the second game. "Our team is just a bunch of fighters", she said. "In that second game we played solid defense and it was a great performance by
Rylee Peters. She battled back from her injury at SWOC earlier and pitched amazing. We had several kids hit their first home runs, seeing the ball well. It was a great win."
Southwestern Oregon remains in first place in the South division with a 17-3 record. LCC and Mt. Hood are now tied for second place at 12-8. The Red Devils are 21-15 overall.
Lower Columbia will be keeping eyes to the sky as Saturday's final home games against Clackamas could be in jeopardy due to weather. A decision will be made late Thursday or Friday. If the games are a go, it will be Sophomore Day with the first game beginning at 12 noon at Tam O'Shanter Park.
