Adna alum Natalie Loose was one of the catalysts in leading the Trailblazers to a sweep over the Raiders on Sunday afternoon, picking up victories of 11-2 and 8-4 at Bob Peters Field in the season-opener.
Loose finished the twinbill with five hits, three doubles, a home run in the nightcap and five runs batted in. It marked the first wins for first-year head coach Olivia Dean, a former CC player herself.
CC needed just five innings to dispatch Pierce in the opener, piling up nine runs in the third inning. Emma Hoffmeister started the frame with a two-run double and Loose cleared the bases with a double. Lena Fragner finished off the six-hit inning with an RBI single
Ava Hernandez tossed a complete game in the circle and struck out six. Makayla Chavez roped a pair of doubles while Sara Haury had two RBIs, two walks, scored twice and stole a base.
In Game 2, the Blazers broke a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fourth and added a four-spot in the sixth for insurance. Loose blasted a solo shot to take the lead then Gracie Schofield and Macey Fluetsch recorded back-to-back RBI doubles.
Schofield and Fluetsch also notched extra base hits in the sixth to plate runs. Those two combined for five RBIs, four hits and three runs scored. Hoffmeister worked around six hits and seven walks to toss a complete game.
CC will host Olympic for a doubleheader on Friday with first pitches at noon and 2 p.m.
CC men, women fall to SPSCC
The Trailblazers couldn’t send their sophomores out on a high note, losing to the Clippers in both contests inside Michael Smith Gymnasium. The men lost 69-62 while the women fell via blowout, 84-64.
For the CC men, it needs a victory over Pierce on Wednesday plus a Highline loss to Tacoma to clinch the fourth and final playoff spot out of the NWAC West. If both teams either are 7-7 or 6-8, with their regular season split, it would come down to the second tiebreaker.
The Blazers (16-11, 6-7 NWAC West) trailed by as many as 16 in the second half and never got within single digits until a pair of Clay Morgan free throws with 1 minute, 29 seconds left in regulation. Luke Brewer canned a triple to make it a five-point game, but SPSCC made four straight free throws to extend the cushion back to nine.
Brewer led the way with 13 points while Julian Ibarra chipped in 11 off the bench and Ahren Bee-Richards had 10 points and seven rebounds. CC shot just 3-of-24 from behind the arc and were minus-15 in free throw differential.
On the women’s side, the middle two quarters proved costly for the Blazers, outscored in those two frames 56-32. Like many times this season, they started out of the gates fast and led 19-11 after the opening 10 minutes.
CC had more turnovers and fouls (eight each) than field goals made (seven) in the second stanza. Its third straight loss of the season put it too far behind the standings to nab a playoff spot.
Keiryn Mann paced the Blazers with 20 points and seven boards while Abi Lundblad registered eight points and 10 rebounds. They will close the season on Wednesday, hitting the road to take on Pierce.
CC baseball avoids four-game sweep with extra inning triumph
The first three games of Centralia College’s series against Everett did not go the Trailblazers’ way, but CC was able to avoid the sweep with a 10-inning 6-4 victory in the series finale on Sunday.
Everett got on board first in the final game, but a Sam Matosich RBI triple and Kaleb Campbell RBI single put the Blazers up 2-1 in the fourth.
Campbell drilled another RBI knock in the eighth, and Isaac Watson added another on an RBI fielder’s choice to put CC up by three.
Everett rallied to tie it at four in the bottom half of the inning, and after a scoreless ninth, Owen Dirks drew a walk with the bases loaded to put the Trailblazers back in front in the top of the 10th.
Mitchell Rowe added an insurance run on an RBI single, and Conner Weiss pitched a scoreless bottom half to preserve the victory.
Centralia College lost both games of the Saturday doubleheader by scores of 3-2 and 6-3, and they lost the first game on Sunday 12-0 in seven.
CC (3-5) will host Shortline in a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
