Linn-Benton Captures 2nd-Straight NWAC Baseball Title with 3-2 Extra Innings Win over Tacoma

LONGVIEW, Wash. - The Linn-Benton Roadrunners captured their second-straight title with a 10 inning, 3-2 win over Tacoma in the final of 2025 NWAC Baseball Championship on Monday at David Story Field on the campus of Lower Columbia College.

After trailing 2-0 in the game, the Roadrunners scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game and won in the bottom of the 10th on walk-off wild pitch that scored Andrew Demianew.

The title is the fifth in NWAC history for the Beaks and third in four seasons. Prior to the 2022 championship, LBCC had not won since 1991 as they have begun to form a baseball dynasty run. 

Tacoma jumped out to an early lead in the game, scoring in the top of the first. Logan Shepherd started a two-out rally with a base hit. Amari Goodfello then walked, followed by an E. Weichbrod hit by pitch to load the bases. Isaiah Afework then drew a bases-loaded walk to drive in a run and give TCC a 1-0 lead.

It was all pitching and great defense over the next five innings as neither team scored a run. Tacoma starting pitcher Max Goldberg threw six shutout frames, allowing four hits and one walk with five punchouts.

Tacoma added their second run in the top of the seventh as Jalon Goodfello started the inning with a one-out single. B. Jones followed up with a single, moving Goodfello to third. Chase Cretti then drove in Goodfello on a fielder's choice to give the Titans a 2-0 lead needing nine more outs.

In the bottom of the eigth, the Roadrunners had the big inning they were waiting for. Demianew started the inning drawing a hit-by-pitch. B. Starr then drove a double to give LBCC runners on second and third with no outs. Jake Dodge followed with an RBI single, and J. Fera brought in another run on a sacrifice fly to tie game 2-2 heading to the ninth.

Both Tacoma's Carson Ackermann and Linn-Benton's Easton Corey pitched perfect ninth innings to keep the score tied heading to extras. In the 10th, Tacoma looked in position to potentially get at least a run after Shepherd and Goodfello each got aboard with one out singles. That brought up Weichbrod, who drove a deep fly ball to left field that looked destined to at least fall in for a hit. LBCC left fielder Andrew Demianew had other plans as he made a leaping grab, robbing the Titans of at least a run and perhaps more. Corey then struck out the next batter to keep the score tied and give LBCC the chance for a walk-off. 

Demianew then led off the bottom of the 10th with a hit-by-pitch. An error on a sacrifice bunt and another hit batter loaded the bases for LBCC with no outs. Ackermann struck out the next batter, but a wild pitch with one out brought Demianew home, sending the Roadrunners to the victory and the championship.

Seth Dreeszen made the start for LBCC, pitching two innings with one run allowed. The Beaks' day two starter Brody McMullen came into relief and gave them five strong innings, allowing one run on two hits with five strikeouts.

Linn-Benton's Connor Mendez was named Tournament MVP after pitching 17.2 shutout innings in the tournament, a new tournament record. Mendez threw nine shutout innings in LBCC's 10-inning extras win over Bellevue to start the tournament. Then on Monday in the team's first game against Spokane, Mendez shutout the Sasquatch over 8.2 more innings to lead them to a 2-0 win.

Andy Peterson and James Marshall were named NWAC Baseball Co-Head Coaches of the Year. Peterson has been head coach for the Roadrunners since 2018, but Marshall was the acting head coach for the tournament while Peterson was unable to attend.

Tacoma finishes the year with the second place trophy for a third-straight season. Overall, they went 29-19 on the season, taking second place in the West Region.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM