Puckett Hurls L-C Past Albertson, 4-0

LEWISTON, ID--Nic Puckett hurled his second career complete game shutout to lead seventh-ranked Lewis-Clark State to a 4-0 win over #22 Albertson College, Saturday afternoon, at Harris Field. The game was delayed 2:45 due to a passing rain shower.

Paul Gallegos led Lewis-Clark State’s (31-13) offense with a double and three singles and one RBI. Brendan Ryan extended his hitting streak to nine games, going 2-for-2 with an RBI, and Mark Gallagher collected a double and a single. Puckett (3-0) only gave up seven hits, all but one was a single, and tied his career-high in strike outs with eight. He also runs his career record to 17-0. Puckett’s complete game shutout was the first one thrown since April 15, 2000, when John Vietch turned the trick at Central Washington, in the first game of a doubleheader. Puckett’s came in the Hawaii Rainbow Easter Tournament against Winthrop, May 29th, of the same year.

Scott Skeen and Todd Howell both collected a pair of singles apiece for Albertson (29-14-1). Nick Williams (3-2) went 3.2 innings, giving up five hits and three runs, before giving way to the bull pen with some arm problems.

In LCSC’s half of the fourth, David Bernstine hit a pinch hit sacrifice fly to center, off of Albertson reliever Ben Frank, with the bases loaded, plating Gallagher with the first run of the game. Gallegos followed two batters later with an RBI single, and Nick Walker was later hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Ryan hit an RBI single in the fifth to push the Warriors lead to 4-0.

The Coyotes left 12 runners on base and were 1-for-23 with runners on base.

The same two teams will play in Boise tomorrow at Hawks Stadium at 2:00 PM Pacific. The series wraps up on Monday, at Simplot Stadium in Caldwell, at 12:00 PM Pacific.

Box score vs. Albertson