Centralia College baseball fell in back-to-back games to Pierce College on Friday then rebounded with two-straight wins against the Raiders on Sunday to split a four-game series.
In Game 1, the Blazers’ offense plated just two runs on nine hits and seven walks in an 8-4 defeat on the road.
JP Tilley led the offense, going 2 for 2 with two runs and two walks. Keegan Adams threw 5 ⅓ scoreless innings on the mound, striking out three while allowing eight hits and two walks. But the Blazers were hampered by five errors.
In Game 2, the Blazers’ offense fell silent, managing just one hit in a 7-0 loss on the road.
Matt Obst had the lone hit, going 1 for 2, while Matt Beckworth walked twice. Derek Beairsto tossed four innings, striking out three and allowing two earned runs on six hits and one walk.
On Sunday, at home in Game 3, the Blazers out-hit Pierce 8-7 to take a 6-3 victory in nine innings.
Andrew Dalton and Beckworth had multi-hit games, with Dalton going 2 for 3 with a double, two runs and two walks, while Beckworth was 2 for 3 with two runs.
Brock Keller tossed seven scoreless innings on the mound, striking out one while allowing five hits and one walk.
In Game 4, the Blazers won on a walk-off in the bottom of the seventh, scoring four runs to come back from a 4-1 deficit and win 5-4.
Tilley was 2 for 3 with two RBIs at the plate, while Casen Taggart was 1 for 3 with two RBIs. Obst went 6 ⅓ innings on the mound, striking out five while allowing two earned runs on seven hits and one walk.
“Really proud of the guys for playing hard through both games,” Centralia College coach Ben Harley said. “One of the things we have been working on is playing aggressively and with high energy, regardless of the score.
“We also got two outstanding starts from Brock Keller and Matt Obst. To come away with a weekend split after the two losses on Friday was awesome. We control our own destiny with eight games to go before playoffs, and that’s all we can ask for.”
Centralia College (13-22-1, 3-14 West Region) has a four-game, home-and-away series with Green River starting with two games at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. at home on Friday.
