Butte Drops Series Against Lassen, Salvages Finale

The Butte College Roadrunners faced a tough three-game series against the Lassen College Cougars, dropping the first two games before bouncing back to win the series finale.

Game 1: Lassen 9, Butte 4

Lassen took control early, scoring two runs in both the first and second innings before adding solo runs in the fourth and fifth. Butte struggled to generate offense until the sixth inning, when Aidan Santos singled and later scored on a passed ball. The Roadrunners added two more runs in the seventh, highlighted by a Nathan Brown single and a two-run home run from Santos. Butte's final run came in the ninth inning off a Kinser Day RBI single, but it wasn't enough to overcome Lassen's offensive output.

Game 2: Lassen 5, Butte 3

In the first game of Saturday's doubleheader, Butte started strong with an RBI single from Jason Olsen in the first inning, but Lassen immediately responded with a home run from Rominic Quiban. The Roadrunners reclaimed the lead in the second inning, as Brown walked, and Alonso Rivera knocked an RBI single before later scoring on a double. Butte led 3-1 until the bottom of the fifth, when Lassen plated three runs to take the lead. The Cougars added another run in the sixth, and despite a strong relief outing from Jack Walden, Butte's offense was unable to rally against Lassen's bullpen, securing the series win for the Cougars.

Game 3: Butte 4, Lassen 3

Looking to avoid a sweep, Mason Ali delivered a strong five-inning start, allowing two runs with no walks. Lassen struck first with an unearned run in the first inning, but Butte responded in the third, as Grant Sonke doubled, stole third, and then scored on a double steal. Lassen regained the lead with a run in the fifth, but Butte answered immediately in the sixth with a Trent Van Nuys single, a Carter Imbach RBI double, and a Riley Pimentel RBI double to take a 3-2 lead. Lassen tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but in the eighth inning, Brent Gallegos singled and later scored on a clutch RBI hit from Drew Carrington, putting Butte ahead for good. Gino Marble pitched three strong innings for the win, while Gallegos closed the ninth to earn his second save of the season.

Looking Ahead

With the series loss, Butte falls to 14-9 overall and 5-4 in conference play. The Roadrunners will travel to Sacramento on March 10th for a non-conference game against American River College before a three-game conference series against Shasta College. The series begins Friday, March 14th, at Shasta, followed by a doubleheader at Butte on Saturday, March 15th, starting at 11 a.m.

Weather could impact this week's games, so fans should check the Butte College website for updates.