Paynter, Grubb and Lane win NWAC title
LONGVIEW — The Lower Columbia College Red Devils repeated as Northwest Athletic Conference champions Monday with a 7-5 win over the Yakima Valley Yaks at Story Field.
Port Angeles and Sequim were well represented on the team with former Roughrider standout Eric Lane in his first season as manager and former Peninsula Daily News All-Peninsula Baseball MVP Travis Paynter of Port Angeles and James Grubb of Sequim on the pitching staff.
Paynter got the win in Sunday’s 3-1 NWAC semifinal win over Edmonds (and former Sequim player Evan Hurn), going six innings and giving up one run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
He finished his sophomore season with a 4-0 record and a 1.58 ERA in 28.1 innings and 10 appearances with the Red Devils. He struck out 15 and walked six.
Grubb posted a 2.70 ERA in 3.1 innings pitched, appearing in three games for Lower Columbia in his freshman season.
Lane took over as manager for Eddie Smith, who left the Red Devils to become an assistant coach at NCAA Division-I Tulane University last October.
He guided the Red Devils to an NWAC West Region title and was voted West Region Coach of the Year.
Lower Columbia finished 36-7 this season, going 10-0 in its final 10 games.
Lane previously coached third base for Lower Columbia while also serving as the infield coach and strength coach the past three seasons.
Lane also received a shoutout on Twitter from Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales after the championship-game win Monday. Gonzales shined in Monday’s 2-1 win over the Rangers, allowing one unearned run in 6 2/3 innings.
“Special shout to my guy, Coach @Eric_GoDevils, [for] taking home the NWAC championship! Congrats man!”
Lane coached Gonzales in 2013 at Gonzaga when Gonzales was named West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year and that summer as a member of the Wenatchee AppleSox in the West Coast League.
Nisbet honored by OC
BREMERTON — Chimacum’s Mechelle Nisbet has been named a first-team All-North Region selection by the Northwest Athletic Conference after wrapping up her freshman softball season with the Olympic College Rangers.
Nisbet was second on the Rangers roster in batting average (.444), home runs (five) and RBIs (33) this spring. She was picked as a designated player/designated hitter but also played catcher for Olympic.
Nisbet also was picked as the Rangers’ Clutch Performer in team awards announced by the school.
The 2017 Chimacum graduate plays softball and basketball for Olympic with her twin sister Shanya Nisbet.
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