LCSC rolls past Dixie State 19-6

 

3-9-08

 

After claiming a pair of one-run victories in the first two games against Dixie State, the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team made sure the drama was missing from Sunday’s contest at LCSC’s Harris Field.

 

Scoring nine runs in the first two innings, the Warriors had little trouble in rolling to its ninth straight win, a 19-6 blasting of the NCAA Division II Rebels. LCSC set a season high for most runs in a game and tied season highs for largest margin on victory and hits (17).

 

The Warriors, 15-2 overall, will now hit the road for six games against Region I teams. LCSC is required to play a Region I league schedule, but like last year, LCSC’s games don’t count in the Region I standings. LCSC opens the road trip on Tuesday with a noon, PST, doubleheader against the College of Idaho, and then the two square off in a single game on Wednesday. LCSC then plays a three-game series against Corban College in Salem on Friday and Saturday.

 

In Sunday’s win, the Warriors used 20 position players and four pitchers. Junior catcher Brian Ward, who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth of Saturday’s 12-11 victory, had four RBI and hit his second home run of the season. Sophomore infielder Josh Ashenbrenner added three hits and four RBI as a number of Warriors had solid days at the plate.

 

On the mound, Justin Mace (shown above), the third Warrior pitcher, wound up earning the victory, his first of the season. He went 1.1 innings and allowed two hits, but struck out two.

 

LCSC starter Nick Masters went 4.2 innings and allowed four hits, one walk, and five runs, but did strike out six. Because he didn’t make it the required five innings by a starting pitcher, and because LCSC never trailed in the game after the top of the first, the winning pitcher is then determined by the official scorer, who chooses the most effective pitcher in the game for the winning team.

 

After Masters came out, Kevin Camacho, pitched an inning an allowed a run, one hit, and three walks. He also struck out one. Dustin Willis pitched the final three innings and allowed three hits with three strikeouts.

 

Klint Anderson opened the game for Dixie State with a solo home run, but LCSC struck for four runs on three hits in the bottom of the inning. After Paul Martin tripled, Ashenbrenner brought him in with a single. Kyle Greene drew a walk and consecutive passed balls allowed Ashenbrenner to score. Ward then hit a two-run home run to left field.

 

In the second, singles by Ikaika Lester and Chris Valencia, along with Brent Wyatt being hit by a pitch loaded the bases. Martin then walked to bring in a run and Ashenbrenner followed with a sacrifice fly RBI. Greene doubled in a run and then consecutive walks to Sean Halton and Ward forced in another run.  Travis Georgius’ sacrifice fly made it 9-1.

 

Ward added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, while Ashenbrenner’s two-run double in the sixth made it 13-6 for LCSC.

 

 

The Warriors then put together another big inning with six runs in the seventh. Georgius hit an RBI double to start the scoring, while and Kyle Douglas each had RBI doubles in the inning, while Armando Reyes drove in two with a single. Kyle Douglas and Kepa Wong added RBI singles, while Justin Speer’s sacrifice fly brought in another run.

 

Ashenbrenner had three hits to lead the Warriors, while Halton, Reyes, and Chris Valencia had two each. Martin scored three runs.

 

Despite the 25 runs and 27 hits in the game, there was only one error committed. Dixie State, now 10-9 overall, was led by Frans Meyer, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI. Anderson and Aaron Friend added two hits.

 

The two teams will meet again in another three-game series on April 4-6 at St. George, Utah.