TCC Baseball Battles Against Yakima Valley in Last Pre-Season Games
YAKIMA, Wash. — Tacoma Community College faced a challenging doubleheader against Yakima Valley College, falling 13-11 in the first game and 9-1 in the second game on Friday in Yakima. This series marked the last preseason contests before West Region conference play begins on Thursday, 3/26 at Centralia College.
**Game 1 Recap:**
Tacoma's offense managed 16 hits, including a triple, but YVC capitalized on five runs in the sixth inning to secure a narrow victory. TCC opened the game strong with a five-run first inning, taking advantage of Yakima Valley's defensive errors. Ethan Mar doubled, and Carson Ackermann reached on an error, allowing Vaughn Lowe and Mar to score. Nate Kimmel later singled to right field, driving in two more runs, resulting in a tied score of 3-3 by the end of the first inning.
In the fifth inning, TCC regained the lead with three runs. Kaden Cretti tripled to drive in Elijah McNair-Neal, followed by Ty Iddon's RBI single. Iddon later scored on a fielding error by Yakima Valley, putting TCC ahead 8-7 at the end of the fifth inning. However, YVC responded in the sixth with a five-run outburst, including RBI singles and a bases-loaded walk, giving YVC a 12-8 advantage through six innings.
TCC added a run in the eighth inning when Tyson Rather singled to left field, scoring Mar. However, YVC matched with a run in its half, bringing the score to 13-9 after eight innings. In the ninth inning, TCC attempted a comeback; Iddon walked and later scored on an Ackermann groundout, while Lowe also scored on a passed ball. Despite the effort, TCC fell short, with the final score 13-11 in favor of YVC.
**Tacoma Top Performers - Game 1**
Ethan Mar
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- 2 runs
- 4 hits
- 2 doubles
Vaughn Lowe
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- 2 runs
- 2 hits
- 5 assists
Kaden Cretti
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- 1 run
- 2 hits
- 1 triple
Carson Ackermann
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- 1 run
- 2 RBIs
- 1 stolen base
Nate Jetton
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- 1 run
- 1 hit
- 1 RBI
**Game 2 Recap:**
In the second game, TCC fell decisively to Yakima Valley College with a final score of 1-9. The Titans managed to score their lone run in the fifth inning, while YVC secured the victory with nine runs on nine hits, including three doubles and a triple.
YVC jumped to an early lead in the first inning, scoring five runs. Will Feltus singled and advanced to third on consecutive singles and hit-by-pitches, bringing home the first run. Nate Olmos and Diego Dickson were also hit by pitches, each driving in a run, followed by Kasey Newton's three-RBI double to center, giving YVC a 5-0 advantage after one inning. In the second inning, YVC extended its lead with two runs, making it 7-0 through two innings.
TCC got on the board in the fifth inning. Tyson Rather doubled and then stole third, scoring on Kaden Cretti's RBI single to cut the deficit to 7-1. However, YVC quickly responded with a run in the bottom half, regaining an 8-1 lead through five innings. YVC added another run in the seventh inning, extending its lead to 9-1 after a series of walks and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases.
**Tacoma Top Performers - Game 2**
Tyson Rather
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- 3 hits
- 2 doubles
- 1 run
- 1 stolen base
Vaughn Lowe
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- 2 hits
- 2 assists (fielding)
Devin Tep
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- 4 innings pitched
- 6 strikeouts
- 1 earned run allowed
- 0.75 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched)
Go Titans!