The Linn-Benton Baseball Team defeated Mt.Hood Community College 4-1 Tuesday, May 31, to win the Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Championship.
It’s been more than 730 days since the NWAC has been able to crown a new baseball champion. The Roadrunners will now take home their first baseball championship since 1991, and third all time. This is the second title of the year for Linn-Benton Community College. In the fall, the volleyball team won its first title in school history.
In the game, the Roadrunners started off with the first blow. Ruben Cedillo (Central High School) hit a two-out double, then came around to score off two wild pitches, by Saints pitcher Jeff Nelson. Nelson was virtually flawless after those two mistakes, giving up only three hits until the eighth inning.
The Saints were able to even the odds in the bottom half of the third with a single by leftfielder Mason Deverna. There was a bit of controversy early, when Saints Brady Majewski came around to score off Deverna’s single, his teammate Rikuu Nishida wasn’t far behind. On a bang-bang play Roadrunner catcher Jake Morrow (Warrenton High School) applied the tag as Nishida slid into home plate. Nishida was ruled out, and the Saints challenged the call.
After review, the umpires upheld the call on the field.
In the top half of the eighth inning the Roadrunners were finally able to get to Nelson. A fielder’s choice sacrifice RBI by Roadrunner Emiliano Alarcon (Central High School) allowed Jake Hoskins (Liberty High School) to come in and score the eventual winning run. A Roadrunner Cayden Delzoier ground ball led to a throwing error by Nashida, allowing two more runs to come in and score.
Roadrunner pitcher Rhett Larson (Forest Grove High School), a freshman right-hander, dominated on the mound. Larson started the game on the mound for the Roadrunners and went five innings, allowing one run, on six hits, walking none, while striking out four.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling. All the 6 a.m. morning weights, and all the grinding that’s happened this season, it just feels so rewarding to finally get it done,” Larson said. “Nervousness was definitely there a little bit, but all you can do is battle down and get through it all.”
It didn’t get easier for the Saints as Roadrunner Head Coach Andy Peterson elected typical starting pitcher Kian Hogan to come on in relief of Larson.
Four days prior, Hogan, a left-handed freshman out of Santa Fe Christian High School of San Diego, Calif., went seven innings, allowing only two hits in the Roadrunners playoff game against Edmonds Community College. In the championship game, he was once again dominant. Hogan went four innings, allowing no runs, on two hits, walking two, while striking out four.
Hogan was awarded the tournament’s Most Valuable Player Trophy following the Roadrunners championship win.
“It feels incredible, just speechless about everything. I love all the boys and how hard we’ve worked all year,” Hogan said. “I put in a lot of work all year, and my whole life, and thank you to all the players…coaches…my family for supporting me in everything.”
After the game, multiple Roadrunners were awarded all- tournament first team. Peterson, who won his hundredth game as head coach of the Roadrunners during the regular season after taking over the program in 2018, now has his first baseball championship as a coach.
“It’s the coolest feeling in the world, and those guys gave me everything, those are my little brothers. I’m still speechless, and I’m so happy for everything they’ve given me,” Peterson said. “(Hogan) dug deep and showed a big heart, especially coming back after a couple days’ rest.”