LCSC opens Region I tourney action with 11-3 win over Concordia

05-08-08

VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Senior Kyle Greene collected three hits and drove in three runs to help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team kick off the postseason in style by rolling past Concordia 11-3 in the opening round of the Region I Tournament on Thursday. 

The Warriors, the top seed in the tournament, improve to 48-5 overall and will play the winner of Thursday’s late game between College of Idaho and the University of British Columbia on Friday at 2 p.m. Friday’s winner will be guaranteed a berth in the championship game. 

LCSC showed why it’s the overwhelming favorite by collecting 15 hits, which helped it break the game open early. The Warriors scored in six of the nine innings and also rode the arm of left-hander Michael Guerrero, who pitched eight strong innings and improved to 7-1 on the season. 

Greene, who is the favorite to win the Region I Player of the Year award, picked up where he left off in the regular season. Greene, who hit .455 during the regular season with a team-best 16 home runs and 74 RBI, collected two doubles during Thursday’s win to up his season total to a team-leading 26 doubles. 

Mickey Pingree was one of five Warriors to add two hits and also drove in two runs. Sean Halton also drove in two and hit LCSC’s only home run in the game. 

The Warriors pushed across four runs in the first inning with the help of two Concordia errors. Paul Martin had an RBI single to start the scoring, while Greene added a two-run single. An error allowed the fourth run to score.

Chris Valencia made it 5-0 in the top of the third with an RBI double, but Concordia fought back with a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. 

LCSC then pushed across two runs apiece in the fifth and sixth innings for a 9-3 lead. Halton opened the fifth with a solo home run, while Pingree added an RBI ground out, which scored Bernard Pena. In the sixth, Greene singled in a run, while Halton drove in the other on a sacrifice fly. 

LCSC then added solo runs in the seventh and eighth innings. In the seventh, Valencia singled and eventually scored on a passed ball. In the eighth, Pingree had an RBI single. 

Concordia, the fourth seed in the tournament, falls to 14-24 overall and is winless in eight games against the Warriors this season. 

Guerrero allowed eight hits and two walks in his eight innings, and struck out five. Tyler Knigge pitched the ninth and struck out two of the three batters he faced. 

Concordia senior right-hander Jason Grisham went the distance and gave up 15 hits, nine earned runs and four walks. He also struck out three. 

The eventual tournament winner will play host to the Super Regional next week. The Super Regional matches the Region I and II (California area) winners in a best-of-three series.  

Concordia will now face the UBC-College of Idaho loser at 10 a.m. on Friday in a loser-out contest. The winner of that game will play the loser of the LCSC game at 6 p.m. on Friday, also in loser-out play. 

The championship game is set for noon Saturday with an if-necessary game to follow. Azusa Pacific is the only undefeated team left in the Region II tournament and will play for the championship on Friday. 

LCSC is without the services of infielder Ikaika Lester and catcher Brian Ward, who were not allowed to cross the border into Canada on Wednesday with the team because of ID issues despite being able to do so two weeks ago when the Warriors played UBC in a four-game series in Vancouver.