LEWISTON, Idaho – Brian Ward hit a pair of home runs and the go-ahead double in the top of the ninth inning to help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team remain alive at the 52nd annual Avista NAIA World Series with a wild 7-6 win over Lee University before 4,915 fans at LCSC’s Harris Field on Thursday night. 

LCSC’s win means the two teams will meet again for the title at 7:05 p.m. on Friday night. LCSC is 57-7 overall and searching for its third straight championship and 16th overall, while Lee is 63-9. 

Lee, which entered the game undefeated in the 10-team double-elimination tournament, was within two strikes of claiming its first national championship before the Warriors rallied for three runs in the ninth to claim the win. 

LCSC, which trailed 6-2 at one point, battled back in the ninth when Chris Valencia and pinch-hitter Bernard Pena singled. After a sacrifice bunt by Brent Wyatt moved the runners up a base, Paul Martin struck out for the second out. Facing an 0-1 count, Kyle Greene singled up the middle to score two runs to tie the game. Ward then doubled to center to score Greene with the eventual winning run. 

Matt Fitts, who survived some rough spots to go the distance, retired Lee in order in the bottom of the ninth to preserve the win. Fitts allowed nine hits and four earned runs, but also struck out 10. He improved to 13-0 and is only the second LCSC pitcher to have a 13-0 record in a season, joining Chuck Higson who accomplished the feat in 1988. The 13 wins also ties four others for the single-season school record. 

Fitts and Lee starter Dave Mason put on quite a show early. Fitts didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning, while Mason was holding the LCSC bats fairly quiet. 

LCSC broke on top 1-0 in the fourth inning when Ward took Mason’s first pitch of the frame and put it over the left-field fence. 

The Flames, however, answered with two in the bottom of the inning when Clint Harrelson and Chris Warters singled and moved up a base on an error. Chris Dubon followed with a two-run double down the left-field line. 

The Warriors tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth when Ward again hit a solo home run to left field. 

As they have done all tournament, the Flames had a quick answer. Lee put up four runs in the bottom of the sixth. A hit batter and an error put two runners on to set up a three-run home run by Warters. Dubon followed with a solo home run to right to make it 6-2. 

LCSC got a couple of runs back in the top of the seventh when Martin singled with the bases loaded and Greene drove in another on a fielder’s choice. 

While Fitts faced the minimum eight batters over the final 2.2 innings, the Warriors mounted their final attack in the ninth to capture the win. 

Ward finished 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Greene was 1-for-5 with three RBI. Chris Valencia added two hits.  

Both Dubon and Warters finished 2-for-4 with three RBI apiece. Warters also scored two runs as did Harrelson. Jeremy Hutslar added two hits. 

The third and final Lee pitcher, Pablo Lopez, took the loss, allowing six hits and three runs in 2.2 innings of work. Lopez is now 10-1 on the season.