Cougars Battle Hard but Get Swept in Wild, High-Scoring Series with Feather River
Lassen College baseball was in the middle of the action all weekend, but Feather River capitalized on key late moments to take all three games of the series. The Cougars showed plenty of offensive life, scoring 24 runs across the three contests, but big innings and late-game swings from Feather River proved too much to overcome.
From a one-run walk-off loss in Quincy to a pair of home defeats in Susanville, the weekend was filled with momentum changes, rallies, and stretches where Lassen looked ready to take control. Even in the losses, the Cougars kept battling and continued to show they can pressure opponents offensively when they stay aggressive and string together quality at-bats.
Walk-Off Heartbreak in Quincy as Cougars Fall 13-12
Lassen opened the series with a tough one-run loss on the road Friday, falling 13-12 to Feather River in a back-and-forth game that came down to the final inning. The Cougars put together 15 hits and built multiple leads, but Feather River answered repeatedly and eventually pushed across the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Cougars came out swinging early, plating four runs in the second inning. Jackson Rosenthal got Lassen on the board with an RBI double, Izach Benavidez added a sacrifice fly, and Roque Serrano followed with an RBI triple before scoring on a wild pitch. Lassen added two more in the fourth on RBI efforts from Ethan Beede and Serrano to take a 6-4 lead.
Feather River answered with four runs in the third and four more in the fourth, taking advantage of defensive mistakes and timely hits to grab an 8-6 edge. Lassen did not go away. The Cougars tied the game in the seventh with pressure on the bases and defensive miscues by Feather River, then exploded again in the eighth when Jason Borzello ripped a two-run double and Easton Curtis added an RBI single to make it 12-8.
But Feather River had one last push. The hosts scored four runs over the final two innings, including the game-winner in the ninth, to steal a game Lassen had battled hard to control. Serrano finished with three hits and two RBIs, while Borzello, Rosenthal, Beede, and Benavidez all helped power a Cougar offense that did more than enough to win on most days.
Big Innings for FRC Sink Lassen in Loss
Saturday’s first game in Susanville started with promise for the Cougars, but Feather River broke the game open with several big innings on the way to a 20-8 win. Lassen showed flashes offensively and scored in bunches early and late, but the visitors consistently answered and took advantage of free bases throughout the afternoon.
Lassen grabbed momentum right away in the first inning, scoring three times behind a two-run single from Jackson Rosenthal and an RBI knock from Izach Benavidez. The Cougars later added single runs in the third and fourth, and Hayden Pietras delivered a two-run double during a three-run seventh that briefly gave Lassen some life offensively.
The biggest difference in the game was Feather River’s ability to stack big innings. A six-run second erased Lassen’s early lead, then the visitors added three in the fourth, four in the fifth, three in the seventh, and three more in the ninth. Feather River combined 16 hits with 14 walks, constantly putting pressure on the Cougar pitching staff and defense.
Rosenthal drove in three runs for Lassen, while Pietras had two RBIs and Kylan Kono added an RBI double. Jack Zimmerman also scored twice and continued to be active at the top of the order. Even with the loss, Lassen’s lineup showed it could still produce, but the combination of free passes, defensive miscues, and long innings made it difficult to slow Feather River down.
Six-Run Seventh Turns Tight Game into a Loss
In the series finale, Lassen put itself in position for a much-needed win before Feather River erupted late to pull away for an 11-4 victory. For more than half the game, the Cougars controlled the pace and carried a four-run lead, but a six-run seventh inning completely shifted the momentum.
Lassen played clean, efficient baseball early and built a 4-0 advantage through five innings. Jackson Rosenthal drove in the first run with a groundout in the opening inning, Hayden Pietras added an RBI in the second, and the Cougars added two more in the fifth on RBI hits from Jack Zimmerman and Rosenthal. Caden Fowler was sharp on the mound, working 5.2 innings and allowing just one run while keeping Feather River quiet.
The game changed in the seventh. After Feather River scored once in the sixth, the visitors exploded for six runs in the next frame, highlighted by RBI hits from Walker DesRosier and Nick Anderson before Luke Henderson delivered the decisive blow with a three-run homer. In a matter of moments, Lassen’s 4-1 lead turned into a 7-4 deficit.
Feather River added insurance in the eighth and ninth, while Carl Colavecchio shut the door out of the bullpen. Rosenthal finished with two RBIs, Zimmerman had two hits and scored twice, and Pietras continued his solid day at the plate, but the late Feather River surge was too much to overcome. It was another frustrating finish for a Cougar team that showed it could compete but could not hold off the decisive late inning.