Columbia Basin defeated Chemeketa in Game 2 of a best-of-3 series, advancing to the NWAC Championships 3-1. Starter Dylan Schlenger went 7 2/3 innings allowing just the 1 run and striking out 5.

Heading into Saturday, CBC needed just one win to advance to the NWAC Championships in Longview. Schlenger opened with a rocky start allowing 2 baserunners to open the game. He was able to skirt trouble with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning unscathed. From there, the righty was able to settle in to his start going 5 innings before giving up his first and only run.

On the offensive side, Basin was hitless through 3 innings before Alex Chamberlain sent a shot to left-center field that carried the fenceline for the solo home run giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead. In the next frame, a failed pickoff allowed Braiden Bond to score from 3rd while Ethan Stewart made his way to third. Isaac Antunes singled in Stewart for a 3-0 lead after 5.

Schlenger allowed a 1-out walk to reach 2nd on a failed pickoff himself which scored on a 2-out single for Chemeketa. From there, Branson Rozier took over in the 8th to get out of a jam with runners in scoring position. The freshman pitched a clean 9th and with a groundball to third, closed out the game for the 3-1 final.

The win sends Columbia Basin back to Longview in their 2nd tournament appearance in 3 years. They will open up play on Thursday against west #1 seed Lower Columbia at 7:35pm.