Though the Centralia Community College baseball team built up an early lead, it couldn’t hang on in an up-and-down affair to Lower Columbia, 11-6, on April 3.
The Blazers racked up nine hits and scored five runs in the first three innings, but hit a dry spell, and began to struggle to find consistency on the mound, letting LCC score 10 runs in the final five innings to seal it.
“We battled hard against a quality LC program,” Blazers coach Ben Harley said. “We’re learning as a group how to play all nine innings. There will always be ups and downs throughout a season, and this game really optimized the swings a season can take.”
Matthew Osberg went 1 for 2 with two walks and three runs batted in, and teammate Casen Taggart went 2 for 5 with two RBIs to help lead the Blazer attack at the plate.
Blazers Strand 10 on Base in 1-0 Defeat
Though pitcher Brock Keller was stellar on the mound — throwing a complete game for the first time since an injury in 2020 and a rehab that lasted all of last season — the Centralia College baseball team couldn’t get him any run support in a 1-0 loss to Pierce on April 6.
Keller went eight innings, allowing just six hits, striking out four, and letting in just one run in the very first inning.
“It was awesome to see Brock Keller throw a complete game,” Blazers coach Ben Harley said. “He has battled every step of the way.”
But the offense was the story of the game, with the Blazers stranding 10 runners on base and out-hitting the Raiders, 7-6.
Matthew Becksworth led the Blazer batters, going 3 for 4 on the day.
“On offense we need to continue to work on capitalizing with runners on base and continue to get better each day at practice,” Harley said. “One small step forward every day.”
Centralia will get back after it at home against Green River on Saturday at 1 p.m. after a brief two-game road trip.
