BBCC Defeats No. 1 Ranked Lower Columbia in Preseason Finale

BBCC baseball hit the road to conclude their preseason schedule with a challenging series against Lower Columbia College, the number one ranked team in the NWAC. The Vikings showed resilience throughout the series, highlighted by strong pitching performances and moments of offensive firepower.

Brendan McKinley took the mound for game one and delivered a stellar performance, carrying a no-hitter into the eighth inning. Holding a 1-0 lead, McKinley allowed a walk and a hit before handing the ball to closer Nolan Soderstrom, who looked to secure a five-out save. However, Soderstrom struggled with his command, issuing four consecutive walks, which allowed Lower Columbia to take the lead. The Vikings' momentum was stifled, and despite limiting Lower Columbia to just one hit, BBCC fell 3-1.

Garin Gurtler got the start in game two as he prepared for his upcoming conference-opening assignment. Gurtler pitched two innings, surrendering two runs while striking out two before turning the game over to the bullpen. The Vikings' offense was slow to ignite, scoring just one run through six innings. However, in the seventh, Camron Fleck launched his first collegiate home run to provide a spark. Despite this, BBCC managed just four hits, leading to a 6-2 loss.

The following day, freshman Cole McKinnon took the mound and started strong with two solid innings. However, Lower Columbia's offense broke through, scoring five runs over McKinnon's three innings of work. Down 5-0 in the fourth, the BBCC bats came alive, erupting for seven runs to take a 7-5 lead. Lower Columbia responded with four runs in the fifth to regain the lead and added a solo home run in the eighth to secure a 10-7 victory.

Looking to end the preseason on a high note with the fourth and final game, BBCC turned to Jacob Kanaly. Kanaly pitched effectively through two innings before being lifted with the bases loaded in the third. The Viking offense took charge, scoring nine runs in the first three innings and adding another in the fifth to cruise to a 10-3 victory.

BBCC displayed patience at the plate, drawing 14 walks over the series against one of the NWAC's top pitching staffs. With the preseason behind them, the Vikings now shift their focus to conference play as they hit the road to take on Columbia Basin College in their opener on Wednesday.