Late Inning Heroics Lift Roadrunners Past Penguins

ALBANY, Ore. - The Linn-Benton baseball team needed extra innings to complete a home sweep of Clark College in their final contest before south region play begins. The Roadrunners (8-0, 0-0 NWAC South) defeated Clark 8-5 and 3-2 on Friday, February 20 and then won 14-5 and 3-2 on Saturday. All four contests were played at Dick McClain Field.

Friday, Game 1: The Penguins (0-4, 0-0 NWAC West) struck first, putting up four runs in the top of the second inning. Linn-Benton would strike back three runs in the bottom of the inning, as a Noah Scharer single would score Jackson Fera followed by a Bryant Starr single scoring Jack Lussier and Emmett Stacher to make it 4-3.

The Roadrunners would take the lead in the fourth inning as Aiden Hazen drew a bases loaded walk to score Scharer then a passed ball would send Starr across the plate making it 5-4 for the hosts. Linn-Benton would tack on three more runs in the eighth inning to take a commanding lead.

Boston Caron reached base on a defensive error, scoring Stacher, then Starr scored on a wild pitch followed by a bases-loaded walk drawn by Kellen Segel to score Caron. Dayne Castillo was credited with the win in four innings of relief, scattering four hits and striking out five while Kyle Miller recorded the save.

Friday Game 2: It was again Clark striking first in the second game of Friday's doubleheader, scoring a run in both the top of the third and fourth innings to take a 2-0 lead. Linn-Benton responded in the fifth inning with a Tyson McGrorty RBI single to score Mark Carpenter, then evened the game at 2-2 with a Scharer RBI on a fielder's choice scoring Nick Biagi. 

Linn-Benton would take the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning on a Scharer RBI single to score Matthew Talbot, as pitcher Dax Teixeira slammed the door in the top of the ninth to secure the win in relief.

Saturday Game 1: Saturday's first contest saw the Roadrunners score early and often as they tallied 14 runs in the victory. Eight different Linn-Benton players recorded an RBI while nine different players scored a run. Starr had a team-high three RBIs while Hazen, Biagi and Talbot each had two. Hazen also came across the plate three times, while Scharer, Starr and Jack Lussier each scored twice.

Stacher earned the win on the mound for the Roadrunners, as the starter went five innings allowing just one run on four hits and striking out nine Penguins.

Saturday Game 2: The second game on Saturday was scheduled for seven innings, but the team battled into extra innings in a 3-2 Roadrunner victory. Linn-Benton got on the board first with an RBI single from Mark Carpenter scored Scharer, then a Chanz Flores double in the third inning scored Caron to make it 2-0 Roadrunners.

Clark rallied in the seventh inning, scoring two runs to send the game to extra innings. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Fera tripled to left field with one out to put a runner in scoring position. Clark intentionally walked Camden Johnson and McGrorty to bring up Jacob Lindstrom with the bases loaded. Lindstrom hit a single into right field, scoring Fera on a walk-off RBI to give Linn-Benton a 3-2 victory.

The Roadrunners open up south region play at home Friday, February 27 as they take on the Storm of Chemeketa Community College. Those nine inning contests are scheduled for 12:00PM and 3:00PM starts.