EUGENE, Ore. – Senior weekend did not start off the way the Beacons would have liked, as Bushnell hitters struck out 27 times on Friday, losing back-to-back games to No. 23 Lewis-Clark State.
 
GAME ONE: Lewis-Clark State 10, Bushnell 5
 
The Warriors used three home runs in game one, including a go ahead two-run shot from Bulla Ephan in the sixth-inning to support a six-inning start from Jadon Williamson (5-0) who struck out 11 batters and allowing just three hits. Jackson Cloud threw the final three innings to earn his fourth save of the season.
 
Cade Crist went 2-for-3 for the Beacons and had an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth while Albert Jennings crushed his eighth home run of the season in the third.
 
Austin Wolfe started the game for the Beacons and went four innings, striking out four and allowing just one earned run before coming out in a 2-2 tie. Nate Rasmussen (2-1) took the loss, throwing 2.1 innings and allowing four earned runs.
 
GAME TWO: Lewis-Clark State 11, Bushnell 10
 
Game two featured three lead changes as Bushnell was unable to hold onto a 7-2 lead, giving up a pair of three-run home runs in the top of the sixth inning.
 
Bushnell was cruising early, taking a 3-0 lead in the first inning on back-to-back singles from Will Hudler and Max Richards.
 
Then in the second inning, senior slugger Jordan Wilson made history with his 39th career home run, a two-run shot for a 5-0 lead. Wilson's homer ties the old Cascade Collegiate Conference record, which until recently had stood for 26 seasons. He is currently sitting third in the new CCC record book with OIT's Tyler Horner at 41 and LC State's Charlie Updegrave at 40.
 
After LC State put up single runs in the third and fourth innings, Bushnell found a pair of solo homers in the fifth from Ethan Stacy and Will Hudler to take the 7-2 lead.
 
The Warriors proceeded to knock starter Braden Proud out of the game in the sixth after scoring six runs to take an 8-7 lead, only to see Bushnell respond with a three-run bottom of the frame, fueled by a two-run single from Stacy followed by an RBI single from Cade Crist to go ahead 10-8
 
LC State responded once again in the seventh as they tagged reliever Alec Gums (2-3) for a pair of home runs, taking the lead for good.
 
Both teams found some stellar pitching to close out the contest with three scoreless innings. For the Warriors, it was Robby Butenschoen (2-2), dealing out eight strikeouts in 3.2 innings, including three caught-looking outs in the bottom of the ninth.
 
The Beacons got a spark from freshman Tyler Biddinger (pictured), who faced the minimum number of batters in three innings of work, striking out four. His lone blemish was a hit batter in the top of the ninth, but the Beacons put an end to the threat with a strike-em-out-throw-em-out double-play to end the frame after Brandon Reed caught the pinch-running Alex Sol.
 
UP NEXT: The Beacons (29-15, 19-12) dropped themselves out of contention for the CCC championship with the loss and are now three games behind Oregon Tech for third-place. The Warriors (29-10, 26-5) took a one-game lead on UBC for first-place as the Thunderbirds were upset by Eastern Oregon on Friday. The two teams will clash for another pair of games on Saturday, beginning at 11:00 am.
 
After the double-header, the Beacons will host a post-game ceremony to honor their 20 seniors.