EUGENE, Ore. – The Bushnell baseball team pulled off a masterful double-header on Saturday, taking down CCC front-runner Lewis-Clark State twice on a day in which the Beacons honored their 20 departing seniors.
 
The Beacons pounded out 25 hits on the day, none bigger than a one-out walk-off home run from senior Jacob Stoner in the bottom of the 11th inning of game two, that helped secure the weekend split and give Bushnell their first-ever 30-win season.  
 
"I am immensely proud of these guys," said head coach Jamie Womack. We went on a pretty good skid the last couple weeks and they stepped up today. I am really proud of our seniors and so many of them had great moments this weekend. This group has been through so much and to have the type of day like today on the day to honor them was special."
 
GAME ONE: Bushnell 3, Lewis-Clark State 1
 
It was a senior showcase offensively and defensively in the opener as Bushnell was able to put a six-game losing streak in the rearview.
 
Max Chapman (6-1) had an incredible start on the mound, striking out six batters and allowing just a sac fly in the first inning, working six strong innings. Ethan Sachs, Bushnell's all-time leader for appearances and innings pitched had another stellar showing as he picked up his fifth save of the season, striking out three batters and giving up just two hits over the final three innings.
 
Trailing 1-0 early, Bushnell tied things up in the fourth inning on a solo homer from Albert Jennings, his ninth of the season.
 
Bushnell's all-time leader in over ten offensive categories took over to account for the insurance runs as Jordan Wilson posted a pair of RBI doubles, finishing the game hitting 3-for-4.
 
GAME TWO: Bushnell 9, Lewis-Clark State 8 (11 innings)
 
A chaotic night cap featured everything you could imagine, leading up to the walk-off. 29 different players stepped on to the field for Bushnell in their longest conference game of the season including seven pitchers. The team collected a season-high 18 hits from 11 different batters.
 
The Warriors took a 4-1 lead through the top of the fourth inning, tagging starter Kai Keamo for seven hits. Bushnell answered quickly in the bottom of the frame courtesy of a pair of two-run homers from Will Hudler and Dylan Carson.
 
LC State took the lead back in the top of the sixth, 6-5, only to see Bushnell score two in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run double from Carson. A Nate Stevens RBI single in the eighth inning made it 8-6 and the Beacons were on the doorstep of victory when the Warriors answered in the ninth with a solo home run and RBI single, sending it to extra innings.
 
A scoreless tenth led into a crazy final inning in which a Warrior runner was caught with too big a lead off of first on a line drive to Hudler in centerfield, who was able to gun down the runner for an inning ending double-play.
 
That set the stage for Stoner's heroic bomb to left field, the third of his career and first since his freshman year with the Beacons in 2022. "So happy that Jake got to have that moment," said Womack. "He is a great Beacon. He has worked tirelessly these past four years and has always done whatever he can to elevate the team and putting the team first. Right before his at-bat he told me 'I've got this' and he certainly did. Proud of him is an understatement. He represents the heart and grit that makes this team."
 
Another great performance by the Bushnell bullpen included scoreless innings from Jacob Courtney and senior Jayden Soriano, while Elijah Breault (3-0) came in for the final two innings to record the victory as he didn't allow a hit.
 
UP NEXT: Having already qualified for the CCC tournament and with the conference title out of reach, the stage is set for a battle for third-place with Oregon Tech in Klamath Falls next weekend. The Beacons (31-15, 21-12) sit three games behind the Owls (33-11, 24-9) with a four-game series to play, meaning Bushnell will need to take all four games at OIT in order to jump into third-place.  
 
Womack said, "The work is far from done, but today felt like a step in the right direction as we head into the final regular season weekend. We expect to meet a talented and hungry OIT next week in Klamath Falls and we will need to be on our A-game. We will utilize a well-deserved day off as we celebrate Easter and give thanks to the Lord for the opportunities we have and the time we have together."