Cougars Answer Back to Earn Road Split at Feather River

Lassen College showed toughness on the road April 18, responding from a difficult opener with a gritty 5-4 win over Feather River College in game two. After being held scoreless in the first matchup, the Cougars bounced back with 10 hits, clean defense, and another clutch performance from Jhan'z Kaawa-Kawai to leave Quincy with an important conference split.

Emery Battles in Circle as Lassen Drops Opener

Lassen fell 3-0 in game one despite a competitive effort from Lauren Emery in the circle. Emery went all six innings, allowing three runs, only two earned, while striking out four and keeping the Cougars within reach against a tough Feather River lineup.

Offensively, Lassen created opportunities but could not find the timely hit it needed. Nadia Velazquez, Lilinoe Kuhaulua-Leong, Emma Wayas, and Zoey Heffelfinger each collected hits, while Tristyn Lenz drew a walk and continued battling in the middle of the order. Taylor Lauritsen also stole a base as the Cougars tried to manufacture runs.

Feather River scratched across single runs in the first, fourth, and fifth innings, but Lassen never let the game get away. The Cougars stranded traffic and continued to compete defensively, setting the stage for a strong response in game two.

Kaawa-Kawai Powers Lassen to 5-4 Win in Game Two

Lassen answered with one of its grittiest wins of the season, beating Feather River 5-4 behind a balanced offense and a complete-game effort from Abby Lynn. The Cougars fell behind 1-0 in the first but tied the game in the third when Jhan'z Kaawa-Kawai singled home Abby Robles.

Lassen took the lead in the fourth on a Zoey Heffelfinger RBI single that scored Emma Wayas, then broke the game open in the fifth. Kaawa-Kawai launched a two-run home run to bring in Nadia Velazquez, and Taylor Lauritsen followed with an RBI groundout to score Jenna Ku, giving the Cougars a 5-2 advantage.

Feather River pushed back late with solo home runs, but Lynn stayed composed and finished the job. Kaawa-Kawai led the offense with two hits and three RBIs, Wayas added two hits including a triple, Velazquez doubled and scored, and Robles tripled and scored. The win showed Lassen’s ability to respond under pressure and beat quality teams on the road.