Warrior Baseball Drops Four Games in Weekend Series at Lower Columbia

Warrior Baseball Drops Four Games in Weekend Series at Lower Columbia
March 9, 2026

Longview, WA - The Walla Walla Community College Baseball team traveled to Longview, WA over the weekend to take on NWAC powerhouse, Lower Columbia College. The Warriors battled hard and competed well with three of the games being decided by three runs or less, but ultimately lost all four games to the Red Devils who were picked as the #1 team in the NWAC in the 2026 Preseason Poll. With the losses, WWCC moves to 4-7 on the season with one more week of non-conference play before NWAC East action heats up at the end of March.

 

Walla Walla 2 vs. Lower Columbia 12 - 7 Innings (Saturday - Game 1)

Walla Walla surrendered runs to the Red Devils in 6 of the 7 innings played, including 5 runs in the 7th inning that would force an early end to the game due to the 10-run rule. Five Warriors collected hits in the game: Aaron Kaufman, Cade Hill, Brian Alcazar, Andrew Nielsen, and Luke Palmer. Kaufman, Alcazar, and Nielsen's hits were all of the extra-base hit variety, with Nielsen's 7th inning solo home run being the exclamation point, Walla Walla's first home run of the season.

 

Walla Walla 1 vs. Lower Columbia 3 (Saturday - Game 2)

Owen Spendlove gave Walla Walla a great effort on the mound, pitching 6 innings, only giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs and collecting 1 strikeout. However, Lower Columbia's pitching was just as strong, holding WWCC to just 5 hits for the second game in a row, resulting in a lone 9th inning run on a passed ball following a Cade Hill walk and Gavin Wideman single. Wideman and Dylan Kakuda each tallied two hits and Hill reached base twice as well with a hit and walk.

 

Walla Walla 5 vs. Lower Columbia 8 (Sunday - Game 1)

Sunday's first game added a new element to the mix in the form of steady rainfall that fell over the course of the first four innings of action. The Red Devils took advantage of this, plating all 8 of their runs in the first 3 innings of the game while only totalling 3 hits. The Warriors were able to claw back in the third and fourth innings, scoring 2 runs in the third on 3 straight bunt attempts and a Beckett Ensminger single, and 2 runs in the fourth on an Aaron Kaufman 2-RBI single. But, WWCC wasn't able to keep the scoring going, only adding 1 more run in the eighth, leaving the comeback attempt just short of success. Kaufman, Ensminger, and Alcazar all contributed multi-hit efforts in the game. Luke Jenkins and Wiley Wagner combined to throw the final 5.2 innings for the Warriors, surrendering only 2 hits and 0 runs while striking out 5.

 

Walla Walla 0 vs. Lower Columbia 2 - 7 Innings (Sunday - Game 2)

Despite out-hitting the Red Devils for the second straight game, Walla Walla couldn't push any runs across home plate en route to a 2-0 loss in the final game of the series. Lower Columbia plated both of their runs in the bottom of the first inning after both base runners got on base by way of the walk. Branson Castleberry tallied his first hit in a Warrior uniform in the game and Evan Perry pitched 2 scoreless, hitless innings in relief.

 

What's next?

The Walla Walla Community College Baseball team is back in action at home this weekend, hosting Everett for a four game series. Doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday are scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM.