Butte College Baseball Sweeps Solano College to Open 2026 Season

Butte College Baseball Sweeps Solano College to Open 2026 Season

The Butte College Roadrunners opened the 2026 season in strong fashion, sweeping a three-game series from Solano College with wins on the road and at home. Butte's offense produced consistently across the series, while the pitching staff delivered depth and timely performances to secure victories of 12–6, 9–6, and 11–4.

Game 1 – January 23, 2026

Butte 12, Solano 6 | Fairfield, CA

Solano struck first with two runs in the opening inning, but Butte responded in the top of the third to seize momentum. After a Collin Severson double and a hit-by-pitch to leadoff hitter Cole Davis, Tyler Porter walked to load the bases. Lucas Owens then delivered the big blow, clearing the bases with a three-run triple to put the Roadrunners on the board.

On the mound, Aden McNabb made the season's first start, going 3 1/3 innings before turning things over to Nate Simonton, who worked 2 1/3 innings to earn the opening-day win. Carson Thompson was dominant in relief, closing out the game with 3 1/3 hitless, scoreless innings.

With the game tied in the fifth, Butte broke it open. Thompson singled, Davis was hit by a pitch, and Jack Selfridge laid down a sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position. Porter's RBI single gave Butte the lead, and Jacob Klapper followed with a two-run double.

The Roadrunners continued to add on in the sixth, scoring on a Severson sacrifice bunt and a Selfridge RBI single. In the eighth, Butte capped the scoring with four more runs, highlighted by an RBI fielder's choice by Owens, an RBI single from Klapper, a run scored on a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly from Alves.

Game 2 – January 24, 2026

Butte 9, Solano 6 | Oroville, CA

Playing at home, Butte jumped ahead with two runs in the bottom of the third inning. Severson drove in the first run with a single, and Porter added another with an RBI double. The Roadrunners added a run in the fourth on a wild pitch.

Solano responded with a six-run rally in the top of the fifth to take the lead, but Butte chipped away down the stretch. Cole Davis drove in a run in the sixth, and Klapper's triple in the seventh brought Butte within one. In the eighth, Owens doubled to drive in the tying and go-ahead run, sealing the comeback win.

Brent Gallegos got the start and worked four innings. Nathan Brown followed in relief, and Tomas Torres closed out the game, throwing 4 1/3 innings to earn the win.

Game 3 – January 26, 2026

Butte 11, Solano 4 | Fairfield, CA

In the series finale, Butte showed patience at the plate, drawing 10 walks while steadily pulling away. In a tied game in the second inning, Kolby Stolpe led off with a walk and later scored on a wild pitch after a single by Howsley. Severson followed with a sacrifice fly to give Butte a 2–1 lead.

The Roadrunners added another run in the fourth on an RBI from Alonso Rivera. In the sixth, back-to-back walks set up additional scoring, with Severson and Davis contributing to a two-run inning, capped by a two-run single from Ryan Pearson.

Butte broke the game open in the seventh with four more runs. A Pimentel single drove in a run, Rivera and Davis each added RBI singles, and Pearson drew a bases-loaded walk to close out the scoring.

On the mound, Bruno set the tone with a strong start, going 2 2/3 innings. Cade Taylor matched him with 2 2/3 innings of his own. Carson Parenti tossed 1 2/3 innings, allowing just one unearned run, while Garrett Francis and Nicholas Guidry each contributed a scoreless inning to finish the sweep.

Series Notes

Offensively, Butte was led by Jacob Klapper, who went 5-for-12 with five RBIs over the three games. Lucas Owens also drove in five runs in the series, while Cole Davis reached base six times in 15 plate appearances. With balanced offense and deep pitching, the Roadrunners set an early tone as they opened the 2026 season with a convincing series sweep.