Butte Silences FRC Bats

QUINCY--Butte's Jason Olson hit a three-run homer in the first inning and his Roadrunner teammates made that lead stand for an eventual 5-1 win over Feather River on Saturday afternoon at the Eagles Nest.

With the win, Butte salvaged a split in the weekend series with the Golden Valley Conference leading Golden Eagles. Feather River is now 12-4 in GVC play (22-8 overall) while Butte improves to 11-6 in conference play and 21-11 on the season. Lassen, with a win today (they are leading late in their game), would move a game back of FRC at 11-5.

Olson's home run came with two outs and the three runs go down as unearned after an error kept the inning alive. It put FRC into a 3-0 hole, but they got one back in the bottom half of the inning and in fact had four hits in the frame. Anthony Cepeda doubled, Zane Denton singled, Shane Danley singled and Nick Anderson brought home Cepeda with an RBI base knock.

But Feather River wouldn't get another base hit until Drake Rogers led off the seventh with a single. But Butte pitching retired the next three batters in the inning and FRC wouldn't get another hit the rest of the afternoon.

Ali Mason was tough for the Roadrunners on the mound, going seven innings, allowing only five hits and one run. Tanner Hail was the starter for the Golden Eagles and pitched six very strong innings, giving up only two hits and no earned runs. He struck out four. Golden Eagle pitching allowed only four Butte hits. 

Feather River will hit the road next Friday for a doubleheader at the College of the Redwoods. Start time for the twinbill is noon.