Athletics

A second place finish in the West Region this season, earned the Raiders Softball team a disappointing #14 seed into the NWAACC Championship Tournament.  Despite the lower than expected seeding position, the Raiders made it a good first day at the 4-day championship event, being held at Delta Park, in Portland, Oregon.

Starting pitcher, Lunden Young, had a bit of a bumpy start against the #3 seed Lakers from Southwest Oregon CC, giving up 3 runs in the first inning.  Young was lights out the rest of the way, allowing just one unearned run over the final six innings.  Unfortunately, the Raiders couldn’t muster enough offense against South Region Most Valuable Pitcher, Alexandria Molina, scratching out just one run on four hits, and dropped the opener, 4-1.  Aryn Knutsen collected two of the Raiders’ four hits.  Despite losing the first round game to the Lakers, the Raiders had a strong showing against the South Region regular season champs.

The Raiders’ second round, loser-out game, was against a familiar foe — the Highline Thunderbirds, this year’s West Region champs.  The Raiders used the motivation of losing their West Region crown to the T-Birds, and came of the gates blazing, putting up three runs in the first inning, and never looked back, picking up the 9-4 victory.  The offensive star of the game for Pierce was West Region MVP Kimmie Courneya.  Courneya pounded out a triple and a double, going 2 for 4, and collected a team-high 4 RBI’s on the day.  Kierston Perry and Kelsey Trautman each had two hits.  Lunden Young went the distance for the win, giving up just 4 hits.  Eight Raiders hit safely on the day.

The Raiders move on in the loser-out bracket on Saturday, taking on the Clackamas Cougars — 8-0 winners in the first round against Shoreline, and 3-2 losers in a hard-fought 3-2 losers to Mt. Hood Saints.  Lunden Young threw a complete game 4-hitter for the victory.  First pitch is set for 10:00 a.n, on Monday.  The Raiders must win to continue their chances of bringing home the championship hardwastern.

GO RAIDERS!!!

2012 WESTERN REGION CHAMPS!!!

The Raider Baseball team swept the Tacoma CC Titans, at Tacoma, to earn the 2012 Western Region Title!  Both games of the doubleheader sweep took extra innings, showing the incredible resolve and determination of the Raiders, as they won their second consecutive region title.  The Raiders improved their league record to 20-2, with two games remaining on Saturday, when the Raiders host the Titans at Mt. Tahoma High School.  Game time is 1:00 p.m.

The Raiders back-to-back titles are also the only two region titles in the program’s 40 year history.   The team is currently ranked #2 in the NWAACC Coaches Poll, and #11 on the West Coast in the ABCA Coaches Poll.  The Raiders earned the #1 seed from the West to the NWAACC Championship Tournament, hosted at Lower Columbia College over Memorial Day weekend.  This will mark the Raiders third trip to the NWAACC Championships in the past four years.

Coming off the most successful season in the history of the Pierce College Baseball program, the 2012 Raiders picked up where last year’s squad left off.  The Raiders opened West Division play with a series sweep of Clark College.  The Raiders finally found their offense, following a less than stellar pre-season, which saw them hit @ .250 as a team for the month of March.  The bats came alive in the home opener against the Penguins, knocking out a season high 16 hits, and coasting to a 19-4 victory.  DJ Gee led the assault with 3 hits, including 2 HR’s, while driving in a team-high 4 runs.  Brian Corliss and Devin Kaaiwela also had 3 hits for Pierce.  Des Santos and Josh Potter each had 2 hits; Potter slapped a double and a triple, while Santos swiped 2 stolen bases.  Starter Ryan Schmitten picked up the win, going 6 full innings, giving up 3 runs on just 3 hits.  He also collected 7 strikeouts.

Game two of the twinbill was a pitcher’s duel, as the Raiders used only 3 hits, combined with 2 Clark errors to post a 5-3 win.  d’Aundray Van Slyke was the hero of the day for Pierce, as his 2-run single in the top of the 6th inning, proved to be the difference maker.  TJ Horsfall threw a gem through 6 full innings, giving up 3 runs (3 earned), on just 3 hits, while striking out 4.  Josh Potter picked up the save for the Raiders.

The second half of the  Clark series was played in Vancouver (WA), on Monday, April 2.  The Raiders won the opener with another offensive outburst, 11-7.  Miles Nagel brought the big bat, popping a 2-run HR, and adding a double.  Des Santos has a double and single, scored 3 runs, and drove in 4.  Josh Potter also had 2 hits and added 3 RBI’s.  Elliot Morris continued his re-hab from Tommy John surgery, throwing one inning as the starter, and retiring the three batters he faced.  Jacob Phillips threw 6 innings in long relief and collected the win.

The Raiders completed the series sweep with a 6-4 win in the nightcap.  d’Aundray Van Slyke hit a 2-run HR in the sixth for what proved to be the difference maker, as the Raiders wrapped out six extra base hits.  Devin Kaaiwela had a triple and a double, and scored twice.  Josh Potter had a 2-run double, and Des Santos had his second 2 steal game in as many days.  Miles Nagel threw 4 1/3 innings for the win, giving up just 2 runs on 3 hits, and striking out 5.  Josh Potter came in for Nagel and held on to complete the Raiders series sweep of the Penguins.

The wins make Pierce a perfect 4-0 to start the 2012 West League schedule, and improves the Raiders to 24-4 in league going back to 2011.

Despite a less than stellar 6-10 pre-seaason record