Linn-Benton Goes Extra Innings for Road Sweep

COOS BAY, Ore. - The Linn-Benton baseball team secured two road victories against Southwestern Oregon Community College on Saturday. The visitors won the first contest 5-4 in 12 innings and won 5-4 in the second game in seven innings.

Game 1:

The Roadrunners (21-3-1, 17-3 NWAC South) fell behind early, surrendering a run in the bottom of the first inning. Leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the sixth inning the host Lakers (12-14, 9-10 NWAC South) would add two more runs to their lead and looked poised for a victory. That was when the Roadrunners began their rally.

Andrew Demianew started off the seventh inning with a single and after two Roadrunner strikeouts Chase Logan would hit a double that scored Demianew to make the score 3-1. Eli Rolfe then hit a single that scored Logan to trim the Laker lead to 3-2.

Bryant Starr led off the eighth inning with a single then stole second base. He would score on a Kolten Lindstrom single to even the score at 3-3. Lindstrom advanced to third on a fielding error, then scored on a wild pitch as the Roadrunners took the lead 4-3. The Lakers would answer in the bottom of the eighth with a tying run to make it 4-4 and after a scoreless ninth inning the teams would head to extra innings.

Pitcher Easton Corey was lights out in the final four innings, scattering just two hits and striking out seven batters. In the twelfth inning Rolfe was hit by a pitch to get on base, then Conner Boyd reached base on a fielding error that allowed Rolfe to advance to third. Starr would hit a single that scored Rolfe and gave the Roadrunners a 4-3 lead. Corey would strike out the final two batters for SWOCC and was credited with the victory.

Game 2:

The second contest also saw the Roadrunners fall behind as SWOCC scored the first run of the game in the third inning on an RBI single from Jackson Kister. The Roadrunners would answer immediately, scoring four runs in the fourth inning. 

Rolfe was hit by a pitch to start the inning then an Aiden Hazen single put two runners on. Lindstrom reached base on a Lakers error which scored both runners. Lindstrom then advanced to third on an error and Demianew was able to get him across home plate with a single to make the score 3-0.

A few batters later, Boyd hit a bases loaded single that scored Demianew to make it 4-1. Linn-Benton would score what proved to be a pivotal run in the fifth inning when Chanz Flores hit an RBI single scoring Hazen. The Lakers made a valiant effort to come back, scoring three runs in the bottom of the seventh and final inning but came up short and fell again 5-4.

The Roadrunners enter their bye week and will resume action on Thursday, April 17 as they host the Titans of Lane Community College. Both games are scheduled for nine innings with 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM start times at Dick McClain Field.