LCSC edges Azusa Pacific 4-3 in Super Regional opener

05-14-08

LEWISTON, Idaho – Junior designated hitter Sean Halton went 4-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored to help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team defeat Azusa Pacific University 4-3 in the opening game of the West Coast Super Regional best-of-3 series at LCSC’s Harris Field on Wednesday night.

Halton’s RBI single in the top of the sixth inning broke a 3-3 tie and proved to be the difference as the two teams went scoreless during the final three innings.

Azusa Pacific, now 45-9 overall, led 3-1 after three innings, but LCSC, 52-5 overall, rallied for a run in the fourth and two in the sixth for the win.

Game 2 is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday. Both teams are already assured berths in the 52nd annual Avista NAIA World Series, which will run May 23-30 at Harris Field.

Both starting pitcher – LCSC’s Michael Guerrero and APU’s Andrew Shive – were able to escape out of jams early in the game and the relief pitching was outstanding. The two teams combined for only one hit in the final three innings.

Guerrero, LCSC’s left-handed junior, improved to 8-1 on the season with the win. He went seven inning and allowed seven hits and three runs. He also walked three and struck out six. Blaine Hardy pitched the final two innings and retired all six batters he faced, including three by strikeouts, to earn his fourth save.

Shive allowed nine hits and four runs in his five innings of work to fall to 6-2. APU’s three relief pitcher, Christian Gagne, Jonny Bravo, and Ben Jones, allowed just one hit in their four innings of work.

LCSC, which tied a season low of stranding only four runners on base, took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second when Halton singled and moved to third on a single by Ikaika Lester. Brian Ward then grounded into a double play, which allowed Halton to score.

The Cougars, who won the coin flip and were the home team for Game 1, tied the game in the bottom of the inning. Kirk Nieuwenhuis started the rally with a single and Brice Cutspec followed with a walk. After a fielder’s choice bunt moved Nieuwenhuis to third, Chris Feicht singled to center for an RBI.

The Cougars added two in the third when Stephen Kohatsu hit a two-out solo home run to center field, his 20th of the season. Nieuwenhuis followed with a double to right-center field and scored on a single by Cutspec. Kohatsu, Nieuwenhuis, and Cutspec had two hits apiece, but only one other Cougar managed a hit as APU finished with seven hits.

LCSC got a run back in the fourth when Halton hit his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to left-center field.

The score remained 3-2 until the sixth when Brent Wyatt started the LCSC rally with a single and stole second. Paul Martin’s bunt single moved Wyatt to third. A balk on Shive allowed Wyatt to score and Martin to move to second base. After a single by Kyle Greene, Halton singled to score Martin and put LCSC ahead for good.

APU had two runners reach base in the final four innings, but one was erased on a double play grounder, while the other was stranded at second.

Halton was LCSC’s only player with more than one hit in the game.