LCSC has little trouble in sweeping College of Idaho

 

3-11-08

CALDWELL, Idaho – Michael Guerrero threw the first complete game shutout on the road since 2000 for Lewis-Clark State College and three pitchers combined on an eight-hitter in the second game to help the Warriors sweep a doubleheader from the College of Idaho by scores of 10-0 and 8-3 at Simplot Stadium on Tuesday. 

The sweep stretched LCSC’s win streak to 11 on the season. LCSC, 17-2 overall, is ranked No. 1 in the NAIA polls and has defeated College of Idaho, 8-8 overall, in five of their six meetings this season. LCSC also has now won 13 straight meetings between the two teams at Simplot Stadium. 

Guerrero (4-0) pitched LCSC’s first complete game of the season with a five-hitter. He struck out six, didn’t walk a batter, and didn’t allow a baserunner past second base. It’s only the second time this season an LCSC pitcher has went more than six innings in a game. Blaine Hardy pitched seven innings last Friday in a win over Dixie State. 

The last LCSC pitcher to throw a shutout on the road was on April 15, 2000 in Ellensburg, Wash., when John Veitch blanked Central Washington 6-0. Since then, LCSC has had eight complete game shutouts thrown at home, including five in Avista NAIA World Series play. Current Warrior Matt Fitts blanked Spring Arbor on two hits during last year’s Series in a 7-0 win. 

In the second game, Max Hibbs, Matt Stabelfeld, and Ryan Woods combined on an eight-hitter. Stabelfeld picked up the win for his first decision of the season as he pitched 2.1 innings and allowed just two hits with two strikeouts. Woods pitched the final two innings and struck out one and walked one. 

In the opener, the Warriors provided Guerrero with all the run support he needed with a solo run in the top of the first inning. Brent Wyatt opened with a single and later scored on a single by Brian Ward, who was hitting in the cleanup spot for the first time this season. 

The Warriors added two runs in the second when Mickey Pingree and Nic Benton drew back-to-back walks, and Wyatt followed with an RBI single. Paul Martin later grounded out to score Benton. 

LCSC made it 8-0 in the third inning by scoring five runs on five hits and sending 10 batters to the plate. Ward led off the inning with a single and Ikaika Lester was hit by a pitch. Josh Ashenbrenner followed with a run-scoring double, and Kyle Greene’s ground out scored Lester. Pingree’s RBI double was followed by a single by Benton and an error on the plate allowed Pingree to score. Benton later scored on a wild pitch.

 

The Warriors added solo runs in the fifth and eighth innings. In the fifth, Wyatt doubled and scored on a single by Travis Georgius, while consecutive singles by Kepa Wong, Ashenbrenner and Greene loaded the bases in the eighth. A sacrifice fly by Pingree scored the game’s final run. 

LCSC finished with 17 hits in the contest and left 14 runners stranded on base. 

Pingree was the only Warrior with more than one RBI as he finished with two. Wyatt had three hits and scored two runs, while Ashenbrenner had three hits. Georgius, Ward, Wong and Greene added two hits apiece. 

Pat Lyon, the first of five College of Idaho pitchers, took the loss. He allowed three hits and one run in two innings of work. 

The second contest was more of the same as LCSC scored six runs in the first two innings and never looked back. The Warriors collected 10 hits in the game, half of which went for extra bases, including Greene’s team-leading third home run of the season. 

The Warriors scored half of their runs in the first inning, using three hits, an error and two wild pitches to produce four runs. Wyatt and Martin started the rally with back-to-back singles and Greene’s double brought in the first run. An error on a ground ball allowed Ward to reach base and Martin to score. A ground out by Sean Halton scored Greene, while the final run scored on a wild pitch. 

LCSC made it 6-0 in the second inning when Benton singled and Wyatt followed with a walk. Martin then stroked a two-run double to right-center field. 

After College of Idaho scored two runs in the third, LCSC countered with two runs in the fifth. Greene hit a solo home run with two outs. Ward then doubled and was replaced by courtesy runner Brian Bollwit, who scored on a triple by Halton. 

Martin and Greene finished with two hits and two RBI for the Warriors, while Halton also drove in two runs.  

The two teams meet again Wednesday in a single game at 2 p.m.