College Baseball: Umpqua splits with Linn-Benton, misses shot at first place

The No. 4-ranked Umpqua Riverhawks put themselves in position to win the season series against No. 1 Linn-Benton and regain first place in the Northwest Athletic Conference South Region standings, but the ‘Hawks came up just short in the second game of a doubleheader Thursday at Champion Car Wash Field.

UCC burst out of the gates with 10 hits in a 9-2 win in Game 1, but LBCC managed to hold off the Riverhawks and retain a one-game lead for first place with a 3-2 victory in the nightcap.

Umpqua (17-7, 13-5 South) has won three of four games in the series with the Roadrunners. The teams will meet in Albany to finish up the season series with another doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Saturday at Dick McLain Field.

Jeremiah Robbins had a two-run home run in the second inning to start the scoring in the opener for Umpqua. He launched an inside pitch over the left field fence just inside the foul poll for his first collegiate round-tripper.

Catcher Jeremiah Robbins @j_robbins_8 (Umpqua ’26) smashed a 2-run homer (his 1st) in the second inning of the @Umpqua_Baseball‘s 9-2 win over Linn-Benton in game one this afternoon. @uccriverhawks

🎙️ @joeykeeran pic.twitter.com/UEc3eAEwo1

— PNW College Baseball Report (@PNW_CBR) April 2, 2026

Jaxson Marble tacked on another run in the third inning with a double down the right field line to give UCC a 3-0 lead.

That would be enough for Umpqua’s pitchers, but the Riverhawks stretched the lead to 6-0 on singles by Caden Kuhnert and Aiden Metzker in the fifth inning. Marble, Kuhnert and Metzker all drove in runs again in the sixth.

Beau Ramsey was polished on the mound for UCC. He went seven innings, striking out seven and allowing just three hits. The freshman earned his fifth win of the season. Tyler Miller closed out the game with two scoreless inning, alloweing just one hit in the non-save situation.

The win was UCC’s third straight against the Roadrunners and put Umpqua in a tie for first place with LBCC.

First place was on the line in the nightcap, but the Riverhawks didn’t capitalize on the opportunity.

“We just didn’t play good enough baseball for a long enough time,” Umpqua coach Jake Whisler said. “If you make some errors against that group and you walk guys and hit guys, you’re limiting your chance for success. That was kind of the story in Game 2. I’m glad we were able to keep it close and have an opportunity to take a lead, but it just didn’t work out for us there.”

Linn-Benton was able to grab a 1-0 lead in the second inning after a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Bryant Starr drove in Emmett Stacher on a ground out to shortstop.

The Roadrunners tacked on another run in the fifth off reliever Jayden Lucas. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases and a sacrifice fly by Stacher plated Chanz Flores.

UCC tied the game in the sixth inning against LBCC’s starter Cooper Yudhishthu. An error helped the Riverhawks get two runners aboard and Kuhnert singled in a run to break the shutout. Metzker followed with a sacrifice bunt that tied the game.

Linn-Benton was able to quickly retake the lead in the seventh after a one-out error put a runner on base. Back-to-back two-out singles by Stacher and Boston Caron brought home the go-ahead run.

Dayne Castillo closed the game and earned a save for Linn-Benton. He allowed just one hit and struck out three over the final three innings.

The win keeps Linn-Benton, the two-time defending NWAC champions, in first place and sets up another major doubleheader on Saturday. The Riverhawks have already won twice in Albany on LBCC’s home field and Whisler said that’s definitely a confidence boost, but Saturday’s matchup will be “no easy task.”

“They’re going to be one of the best teams in our entire conference and to go up to their field and to have an opportunity to win a series, that’s great. We put ourselves in that position, but we’re going to have to play really good baseball up there,” Whisler said.

First Game

Linn-Benton;000;002;000;—;2;4;1

Umpqua;021;033;00X;—;9;10;0

Simonsen, Thomsen (5), Daffron (6) and Hazen; Ramsey, Miller (8) and Robbins. W — Ramsey (5-1). L — Simonsen (1-1). 2B — Lussier (LBCC), Thomsen (UCC), Marble (UCC). HR — Robbins (UCC).

Second Game

Linn-Benton;010;010;100;—;3;5;2

Umpqua;000;002;000;—;2;6;1

Yudhishthu, Castillo (7) and Ty. McGrorty; Hartsell, Lucas (5) and Robbins. W — Yudhishthu (4-0). L — Lucas (2-1). SV — Castillo (3). 2B — Carpenter (LBCC), Kuhnert (UCC).