L-C splits, but will play for Schwab title
Copyright of the Lewiston Morning Tribune

Lewis-Clark State settled for a split Saturday, but that was enough to get the Warriors into today's title game of the Les Schwab college baseball tournament.

And it worked for Linfield as well.

The Warriors and Wildcats, both 2-1 through two days of a tournament that served as the season-opening event for three of the four competitors, will play today at 2 p.m. at Harris Field. In the preceding game, which will determine third place, Eastern Oregon (1-2) will face Concordia (1-3) at 11 a.m.

The Warriors started Saturday with a 3-2 loss to Eastern Oregon, then bounced back to thump Linfield 11-5.

In Saturday's other games, Concordia dropped Eastern Oregon 11-8 and Linfield drubbed Concordia 12-1.

Eastern Oregon 3, L-C 2

The Mountaineers' three-run second inning ultimately did in the Warriors, who managed just five hits, all of them coming off EOU starter Nathan Beachy (1-0).

This marked L-C's first home loss to Eastern Oregon in at least 30 years and just their second overall in that span. The Mounties ended a 79-game losing streak to L-C in 2003.

Beachy went seven innings, allowing a run while striking out two and walking none.

Eastern Oregon's outburst came against L-C starter Aaron Mills (0-1), who gave up three hits and walked one in the second. Dean Fore and William Gardner had RBI singles in the inning, while the Mountaineers' third run came across on an infield error.

The Warrors pieced together what looked to be a rally in the top of the ninth -- they were designated the visiting team -- as Josh Celigoy drew a leadoff walk, Canstenon was hit by a pitch and Joey Dyche sacrificed both into scoring position. The next batter, Paul Keck, flied out to right field, scoring Celigoy and moving Castenon to third.

But pinch hitter Matt Vogel fouled out to Fore, the third baseman, to end the game.

Castenon, the only Warrior with two hits, had an RBI single in the fourth.
 

LCSC vs Eastern Oregon
Box Score

The Warriors again got outhit in this game, amassing 10 to Linfield's 11. But theirs came in a much more timely fashion.

In their six-run sixth inning, for instance, they had just three hits. But those included a two-run double by Vogel and Morris' second home run of the infant season, a three-run drive to left field. Keck added a sacrifice fly in the frame.

Keck drove in four runs, even though he had only one hit, a two-run single in the the first. He added an RBI groundout in the third.

L-C starter Sal Aguilar (1-0) worked five innings, surrendering three runs on six hits while striking out five and walking none. His relief, Chris Kissock, yielded two runs on five hits, striking out six and walking one in finishing out the game.

The Warriors scored eight runs off Linfield starter Jordon Rasmussen (0-1), who gave up seven hits and as many walks.

Tommy Paterson had three hits for Linfield, and Brian Baker drove in two runs.

Linfield vs LCSC
Box Score

Concordia 11, Eastern Oregon 8

Managing just three hits, the Cavaliers profited from 10 walks, four hit batters and three errors. They also received home runs from Coiteux and John Grote in their six-run second inning.

The Mountaineers rallied in the top of the seventh, scoring six times. But the game was called at the end of the inning because of the 2 1/2-hour time limit.

Eastern Oregon 101 000 6-- 8 10 3

Concordia 360 110 x--11 3 3

Champlain, Evans (2), Held (4), Alverson (5) and Mitchell. Sammis, Corwin (5) and Young.

W -- Sammis (1-0). L -- Champlain 0-1.

Eastern Oregon hits -- Melum, Farrell 2 (2B), Bigelow, Johnston 2, Brulotte 2, Kisselburg, Gardner (2B).

Concordia hits -- Coiteux (HR), Grote 2 (HR).

Linfield 12, Concordia 3

Paterson homered and drove in four runs, and Alex Justus threw a seven-hitter in the tournament's first complete-game pitching performance.

Leading 3-2, Linfield scored five times in the bottom of the seventh and tacked on four runs in the eighth.

Concordia 002 000 010-- 3 7 2

Linfield 001 002 54x--12 10 1

Allen, Rohr (7), Well (8) and Hackstedt. Justus and Stolsig.

W -- Justus. L -- Stolsig.

Concordia hits -- Coiteux, Langford 2 (2B), Hackstedt (2B), Grote, Shigano 2.

Linfield hits -- Anderson, Paterson 2 (HR, 2B), Moore 2 (2B), Baker (2B), Stolsig, Dailey, Amstrong, Miller.