Going into today’s matchup I knew what to expect from Lower Columbia. I’ve already seen them in two double headers and had my expectations set for them. As for Grays Harbor I wasn’t sure what to expect.
When I first started covering the NWAC in 2015 Grays Harbor was one of those teams that you could let all your backups get some innings because you knew you could still sweep a weekend. However, I know that things have been changing for the team and really wanted to see how they would respond to facing one of the top teams in all of the NWAC.
The simple answer is this Grays Harbor team is not going to be an easy weekend for anyone they face and are a real threat to win some weekends against even top tier teams. Every time that Lower Columbia would score and take a lead, Grays Harbor would come right back either scoring or threatening to score. They just wouldn’t go away and this is why I’m seeing the Chokers as a real competitor in the West Region.
The biggest take away from the double header is that Grays Harbor never felt out of the game. There would be moments where it felt like the team/dugout was losing energy but they would rebound and get things going again.
For Lower Columbia I got the chance to see a few relief pitchers that I hadn’t seen yet this year. Even though the relievers on the day weren’t perfect they did show a fuller look at the depth of the LCC pitching staff. Even though there isn’t the top level pitching talent that LCC has had the past couple years, the overall depth of the staff is solid.
As far as the West Region goes Lower Columbia is still the top dog. That isn’t much of a surprise I think to anyone. As for Grays Harbor, in 2021 they could slide into one of the top spots in the West Region this year and moving forward. This region used to be a very split region with the haves and have nots, but that is changing and the depth of the West is getting much stronger.
LCC vs Grays Harbor Game 1 Photos
LCC vs Grays Harbor Game 2 Photos
[…] Grays Harbor vs LCC – Grays Harbor, another team looking to make their mark in the West, faced off with Lower Columbia. This would be one of the best double headers I’ve seen in a while, but in the end LCC would come out with a sweep. Eric Luchies (LCC) would get 3 hits on the day, driving in 3 runs and scoring twice.You can read more on my thoughts on the double header here Lower Columbia vs Grays Harbor Game Review […]