The Umpqua Community College baseball team captured three of four games over the weekend, winning the series against Big Bend Community College at Stewart Park in Roseburg.
After dropping a tight opener Friday afternoon, the Riverhawks responded with three straight victories, showcasing pitching depth, late-inning execution, and timely offense to secure the series.
Game 1 – Big Bend 3, Umpqua 2
Big Bend capitalized on a three-run second inning to edge Umpqua in the opener.
An RBI single by Keagan Pacheco and a run-scoring groundout from Rylan Osbjornsen highlighted the early damage, with a wild pitch contributing to the third run.
Umpqua chipped away. Jackson Thomsen doubled home Shiloh Wilson in the third, and Aiden Metzker lifted a sacrifice fly in the sixth to pull within one. The Riverhawks finished with seven hits and drew six walks but stranded 13 runners.
Tyler Miller provided six strong innings of relief, allowing just two hits and no runs to keep Umpqua within striking distance, but Big Bend's bullpen held firm to secure the 3-2 win.
Game 2 – Umpqua 7, Big Bend 0
The Riverhawks bounced back emphatically in the nightcap.
After scratching across a run in the first, Umpqua broke the game open with a five-run third inning. Jackson Thomsen and Aidan Birchard each delivered run-scoring doubles, while Caden Kuhnert added an RBI single as Big Bend committed key defensive miscues.
On the mound, the duo of Cole Gomez and Jayden Lucas dominated. Gomez struck out four over three scoreless innings, and Lucas earned the win with six shutout frames, allowing no hits while striking out seven. Umpqua's staff limited Big Bend to just two hits and fanned 11 in the 7-0 shutout.
Game 3 – Umpqua 7, Big Bend 2
Saturday's opener turned into a late-inning surge for the Riverhawks.
Jeremiah Robbins tripled home the first run in the fifth, but Big Bend answered with two runs in the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Umpqua responded immediately in the seventh with a sacrifice fly from Noah Kiley and an RBI single by Taylor Davis to reclaim the advantage.
The decisive blow came in the eighth, when the Riverhawks plated four runs. Aiden Metzker delivered a two-run single, and Davis capped the rally with another RBI knock.
Ty Hellenthal earned the win in relief, and Josh Jackson closed the door in the ninth as Umpqua secured a 7-2 victory.
Game 4 – Umpqua 3, Big Bend 2
The series finale was the tightest contest of the weekend.
Umpqua manufactured runs early with disciplined situational hitting. John Porter Strother opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the first, and Tristan Schaefer added an RBI single in the third.
Big Bend tied the game in the fourth with a sacrifice fly and RBI single, but Taylor Davis answered immediately with an RBI single in the bottom half to give Umpqua a 3-2 lead.
From there, the Riverhawks' bullpen sealed it. Tristan Ledbetter picked up the win in relief, and Joey Garboden recorded the save, finishing off the one-run victory.
