UCC baseball takes a pair of league games at Mt. Hood
GRESHAM — A pair of wins against the Mt. Hood Saints on Thursday helped push the Umpqua Riverhawks back to the top of a crowded group battling for playoff positioning in the NWAC South Region standings.
The UCC baseball team finished strong for a 10-6 win in the opener and got a late-game rally for an 11-9 win in the nightcap from Oslund Field. Umpqua (15-17, 12-10 South Region) moved into second place with the sweep, but there’s only three games separating the Riverhawks and the sixth place team.
Mt. Hood (8-25-1, 6-16 South Region) jumped out to a 4-1 lead after two innings in Game 1. A couple of throwing errors allowed the Saints to score two unearned runs against UCC starter Sam Coffman.
Coffman settled in and held MHCC scoreless over the next four innings, before giving way to Tristan Ledbetter out of the bullpen in the seventh inning. Ledbetter gave up two runs in the ninth, but closed the door on a comeback to earn his third save of the season.
Umpqua had 15 hits in the win and rallied to take the lead with three runs in the sixth inning. Carson Dunn drove in the game-tying run on a single and Zane Bidwell gave the Riverhawks the lead with a two-run single.
The ‘Hawks scored eight runs total over the final five innings of the contest. Bidwell, Payton Smith and Jeremiah Robbins all had two RBI’s for Umpqua.
UCC got out to a fast start in Game 2, but Mt. Hood scored five runs in the sixth inning to briefly snatch the lead. Nolan McCormack had a two-out single that gave the Saints a 7-6 advantage.
Jackson Thomsen helped the Riverhawks answer quickly with a double in the seventh that scored Ryson Wa’alani to tie the game. Umpqua took the lead on a wild pitch and stretched the lead to 10-7 on a two-run single by Bidwell.
Hunter Robinson got the win in relief, pitching the final 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked two and allowed five runs on eight hits.
Umpqua had five doubles in the nightcap, including a pair by Wa’alani.
Bidwell finished the day 3-for-9 with five RBI’s. Tristan Schaefer was 4-for-10 with three runs. Thomsen was 4-for-7 with three runs and two RBI’s.
The Riverhawks face Mt. Hood again on Friday in Gresham. Game 1 of the doubleheader begins at noon.
First Game
Umpqua;010;023;130;—;10;15;1
Mt. Hood;310;000;002;—;6;9;2
Coffman, Ledbetter (7) and Robbins; Combs, Charlton (6), Brady (8), Shaver (9) and Allen. W — Coffman (6-0). L — Combs (1-1). SV — Ledbetter (3). 2B — Smith (UCC), Slater (MHCC), Allen (MHCC). HR — Henry (MHCC).
Second Game
Umpqua;240;000;401;—;11;9;0
Mt. Hood;110;005;020;—;9;13;1
Lennartson, H. Robinson (6) and Strother; Sato, Fitzgerald (3), Hill (7), Uszacki (7) and Allen, Otteson, Kumagami. W — H. Robinson (4-2). L — Hill (0-1). 2B — Bidwell (UCC), Wa’alani 2 (UCC), Thomsen (UCC), Dunn (UCC), Elliott (MHCC), Richards (MHCC), Bellus (MHCC).
