Late Rally Falls Just Short as Raiders Split with Bellevue

The Pierce College Raiders split a Sunday doubleheader with Bellevue College on March 15, taking game one 3-1 before falling in a dramatic 8-7 finish in game two.

Game One: Pierce 3, Bellevue 1

Pierce used strong pitching and opportunistic offense to take the opener. The Raiders broke through in the fourth inning when Jeb English delivered an RBI single, scoring Tristan Ringrose to give Pierce a 1-0 lead. Pierce added to its advantage in the sixth. Andrew Dyk ripped an RBI double that brought home Kai Halstead, and later scored himself on a wild pitch to extend the lead to 3-1. Dyk finished 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored, while English added an RBI single. Jackson Copeland, Christian Dominno, and Bradley Carl each contributed a hit.

On the mound, Hunter Eisele gave the Raiders a solid start, allowing just one run on four hits over five innings. Vayden Lawrence took over in relief and shut the door, tossing four scoreless innings while striking out six to earn the win.

Game Two: Bellevue 8, Pierce 7

The Raiders nearly completed the sweep in game two, rallying late before falling just short in a dramatic finish.

Bellevue jumped out to an early lead, but Pierce answered with a huge third inning. Kai Halstead started the rally with an RBI single, and Yacel Limonta followed with a three-run double to quickly erase the deficit. Ethan Brimble added another RBI single in the inning as Pierce plated five runs to tie the game at 5-5. Limonta finished the game 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, while Tristan Ringrose had a strong day at the plate going 3-for-4 with a run scored.

Bellevue eventually built an 8-5 lead before the Raiders mounted a late comeback. In the eighth inning, Christian Dominno launched a solo home run to pull Pierce within two. The Raiders threatened again in the ninth when Dominno delivered an RBI single that cut the deficit to one and put the tying run on base.

With two outs and two runners aboard, Bradley Carl drove a deep fly ball to the right field warning track. The Bellevue right fielder made the catch just short of the wall, ending the game and sealing the 8-7 victory for the Bulldogs. Dominno finished the game with three hits, including the home run, and drove in three runs to lead the Pierce offense.

Up Next: Pierce will travel to Wenatchee for a four game series over the weekend. They'll face the Knights on Saturday at 3:00pm and 6:00pm. On Sunday they'll take the field at 11:00am and 2:00pm.