Raider baseball split with 1A Cascade

The Lake Roosevelt Raiders showed both grit and offensive punch Saturday, bouncing back from a tough opener to split a nonleague doubleheader with the visiting Cascade Kodiaks on April 11.

Cascade, a 1A program, edged the Raiders 5-3 in the first game before Lake Roosevelt answered with a decisive 16-2 win in the nightcap, which ended after five innings.

In the opener, the Raiders found themselves chasing early after Cascade plated two runs in the first inning and added three more in the fifth. Lake Roosevelt responded with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings but couldn't close the gap.

Despite out-hitting the Kodiaks 6-4, the Raiders were undone by a pair of errors that helped Cascade extend innings and generate offense.

Hoss Lauseng led Lake Roosevelt at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bradyn Yazzie, Braven Lloyd, Dustin Duville and Zane Bjorson each added hits. Lloyd, Lauseng and Casey Hiett drove in runs.

On the mound, Lauseng turned in a strong start, allowing just one hit and two runs - none earned - over four innings while striking out five. Jace Lewis took over in relief, working the final three innings with three strikeouts, but Cascade's three-run fifth proved to be the difference.

Lake Roosevelt flipped the script in a big way in Game 2.

The Raiders erupted for 16 runs on nine hits and took advantage of four Cascade errors to put the game out of reach early. LR scored in each of their four at-bats, including a five-run third inning and a six-run fourth.

Bradyn Yazzie sparked the offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, driving in three runs, scoring three times and swiping two bases. Noah Marconi added two hits, scored four runs and drove in one, while Jace Lewis went 2-for-2 with a game-high four RBIs.

Braven Lloyd chipped in three RBIs, and Dustin Duville added a run-scoring hit as the Raiders made the most of their opportunities. Lake Roosevelt also showed patience at the plate, drawing eight walks.

Marconi earned the win on the mound, working five innings and allowing two runs on four hits. He navigated three walks but limited hard contact and kept Cascade from mounting any sustained threat.

The split reflects both the growing pains and potential of a young Raider squad competing against larger schools. After letting a winnable game slip away in the opener, Lake Roosevelt responded with one of its most complete performances of the season in Game 2.

The Raiders will look to carry that momentum forward as they host Waterville at 4:30 Thursday and Okanogan at 4 on Monday, then head to Okanogan for a game the next afternoon.