Columbia Basin defeated Centralia in a pair of 7 inning games to open up the season at home. CBC score 10+ in both games at the plate while the pitching staff held Centralia down the entire day.

GAME 1:

For the second year in a row, a true Freshman got the ball on opening day for CBC. Hard throwing Ian Hughes from Twin Falls, Idaho was tasked with leading the way on the bump for CBC and he did not disappoint. The Freshman righty struck out the first 3 batters he saw in convincing fashion with his 93 MPH fastball. Basin wasted no time at the plate either scoring 5 runs in the first. Nick Grade doubled in the first 2 runs while the Hawks were able to manufacture 3 more on Centralia miscues.

The Blazer hitters offered minimal resistance as Hughes began to mow through the lineup striking out 4 of the next 6 hitters. Grade and Brooks Rasmussen each singled in a run for the 7-0 lead after 2 innings. Another big inning in the bottom of the 3rd plated 4 more runs to give CBC an early 11-0 lead which would be more than enough for Hughes who only surrendered 1 run off a seeing eye single in the 4th before promptly finishing off Centralia in the fifth. His final line read 5 IP, 2 hits, 1 earned run with 8 strikeouts and a win.

Freshman Ryan Jundt came into hold the lead together for 2 scoreless innings without a hit. The Hawk hitters were unable to plate anyone after the 3rd inning but it did not matter as they took Game 1 11-1 in 7 innings.


GAME 2:

Josh Aribal, another true freshman, started on the bump for CBC. Like Hughes, Aribal flirted with 91 mph all game with effective offspeed pitches. Aribal began the day with a hit-by-pitch but was able to settle in with 2 strikeouts and a lazy fly ball to blank Centralia in the first. Again, Basin was able to put a crooked number up in the first capitalized with a Payton Kallaher 2-run homerun that crashed into the scoreboard at 420 ft. Aribal struggled to remain warm between innings as CBC mounted long innings with quality at bats. Despite the cold, Aribal struck out the side in the 2nd and pitched a clean 3rd inning.

In the bottom of the 3rd, Grade again leaned on a ball that sailed over the batters eye in center field for a solo shot. Steven Meier doubled in 2 runs and Hunter Tiffany also singled one in for a 5 run inning to push the lead to 8-0.

Aribal's only mistake of the day lead to a Centralia RBI triple in the 4th to make it 8-1. He was able to hold his composure while striking out the next two batters to get out of the inning with just 1 run. The Hawk hitters had his back with another big inning lead by Tiffany's 3-RBI triple to right center field to increase the lead to 13-1. 

Centralia scratched one more across in the 5th but again Aribal dug in and would not surrender anymore. His final line read 5 innings, 5 hits, 2 earned and 9 strikeouts, good enough for the win. Neither team scored in the 5th or 6th inning. Both Tiffany and Cameron Soliz each pitched 1 inning allowing no hits and each striking out one for the 13-2 final score.

On the day, both the pitching and hitting looked impressive as multiple freshman seem poised to play contributing roles this year as the super-sophomore trio of Grade, Kallaher and Tiffany lead the day for the Hawk lineup. Columbia Basin will face Centralia again for two more on Sunday to complete the 4-game series with the Blazers.