KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Beau
Mills hit his NAIA-leading
25th home run of the season
and 10 Warriors drove in at
least one run to help the
Lewis-Clark State College
baseball team sweep a Region
I doubleheader from Oregon
Tech by scores of 10-3 and
6-3 on Wednesday afternoon.
The sweep of the three-game
series leaves LCSC at 41-3
overall and 21-1 in Region I
play, while Oregon Tech is
7-27 and 5-22.
The Warriors had to come
from behind n the opener,
which went only a
pre-determined seven
innings. Oregon Tech jumped
on LCSC starter Jared
Joaquin for two runs in the
first inning, both with two
outs.
LCSC took the lead for good
in the third inning when
Ryan Wholey singled to start
the rally and scored on a
double by Dick Knutz. Mark
Thompson followed with an
RBI single and Kyle Greene
eventually brought in the
third run on a grounder.
The Warriors added two more
in the fifth without a hit.
After a walk and an error,
Greene drove in a run with a
sacrifice fly, while Brent
Wyatt later scored on a
double steal.
Mills helped LCSC put the
game away with a five-run
sixth inning for a 10-2
lead. LCSC collected seven
of its 12 hits in the
inning. Wholey and Knutz hit
back-to-back doubles to
produce the first run, while
Kyle Melton’s sacrifice fly
drove in another. Wyatt
added an RBI double, while
Miller drove in the final
two runs with a home run to
right field. The home run
moved him into a tie for
second-place with Montie
Phillips on the school’s
single-season home run list.
Only Jim O’Dell, with 30,
has hit more home runs.
Oregon Tech picked up a run
in the seventh on just one
of two hits allowed by Brian
Parker. Parker went 4.1
innings and gave up just the
one run with two walks and
three strikeouts to improve
to 3-0 on the season.
Joaquin gave up four hits
and walked three in 2.2
innings.
Knutz finished 3-for-4 with
two RBI, while Wholey and
Thompson both went 2-for-4.
Thompson also scored twice,
drove in a run and stole a
base. Mills and Greene added
two RBI apiece.
In the second game, the
Warriors needed bullpen help
from ace Chris Kissock, who
made his first relief
appearance of the season.
Kissock pitched the final
three innings and walked two
and struck out two to earn
the save. The two walks
started the ninth inning,
which allowed the Owls to
bring the potential tying
run to the plate, but
Kissock retired the next
three hitters to end the
game.
Again Oregon Tech was able
to jump out to a 2-0 lead
with solo runs in the second
and fifth off LCSC starter
Matt Duryea.
The Warriors, who had only a
double by Issac Simmons
through the first five
innings, finally got the
bats cracking in the sixth
to score five runs and take
a 5-2 lead. After a pitching
change, an error and a
double by Donnie Ecker put
runners on second and third.
Paul Martin singled in both,
and Mills followed with a
walk. Jessie Mier and Wyatt
followed with consecutive
run-scoring singles, while
Travis Georgius’ sacrifice
fly to right allowed the
final run to score.
Oregon Tech cut it to 5-3 in
the bottom of the sixth, but
with a runner on third and
no outs, Duryea struck out
the next two hitters before
a line out ended the threat.
LCSC scored its sixth run in
the eighth when Mills and
Mier hit consecutive singles
and Wyatt walked to load the
bases. After a double-play
ground out, Zach Evangelho
singled to right-center to
drive in a run.
Duryea improved to 3-0 on
the season by allowing nine
hits and three runs in six
innings of work. He also
struck out nine and walked
two.
Oregon Tech starter Casey
Burton handcuffed LCSC on
one hit and one walk through
five innings. He also struck
out two, but was replaced by
Josh Strom to start the
sixth inning. Strom gave up
five hits and five runs to
take the loss.
Martin had two RBI to lead
LCSC, while Mier was the
only Warrior with more than
one hit, finishing with two.
Mills collected a hit in the
game to stretch his
consecutive-game hit streak
to 23.
LCSC returns to action on
Friday in Salem, Ore., to
start a three-game series
with Corban College.
Friday’s contest is at 4
p.m., while the two teams
will meet in a doubleheader
on Saturday at 11 a.m. That
will finish up the road
portion of LCSC’s Region I
schedule.