Late inning blasts put Warriors over Huskies 8-6

2-27-08

SEATTLE, Washington – The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team used three homeruns in the final three innings to overcome the University of Washington 8-6 on Wednesday night. 

LCSC collected 10 hits and homeruns from Brian Ward, Paul Martin, and Kyle Greene, and used four pitchers during the Huskies’ home opener that ended with the tying run stranded on first base.   

With the win, LCSC moves to 11-2 on the season, and improves its all-time record versus the NCAA Division I University of Washington to 17-17. The loss drops the Huskies to an overall record of 2-3. 

Despite striking out nine, Warrior starter Matt Fitts gave up four runs, five hits, and five walks for a no-decision, and was replaced with two outs in the fifth inning by Michael Guerrero. Guerrero pitched the following two innings without giving up a run to earn his second win of the year, and Blaine Hardy shut the door on the Huskies in the ninth to get the save.  

Five different pitchers were used by the Huskies in an attempt to keep LCSC’s offense at bay. Tyler Cheney received the loss as he gave up four runs to three Warrior homeruns in the seventh and eighth innings. 

The Warriors struck first as Martin lined a single up the middle with one out in the top of the first. Greene then walked, Ikaiaka Lester was hit by a pinch, and then with two outs Josh Ashenbrenner (shown above) drew a walk to bring Martin home. 

The University of Washington responded in the bottom of the second as Kyle Conley drew a walk, stole second, and was eventually driven in by a single by Troy Scott.  

In the top of the fifth back to back walks led to a one run double by Lester to put the Warriors up 2-1. One batter later Ashenbrenner drilled a double off of the right-center field wall to score two more.  

Brett Wilcox hit a two-one pitch from Fitts over the wall in right field to cut the Warriors’ lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth. The Huskies then loaded the bases, and brought in two more runs on a Jarrett Jackson double down the right field line to tie the game at 4-4. 

Ward smashed a line-drive two-run homerun to left field, his first homerun of the season, in the seventh to give the Warriors the lead, and Martin and Greene then followed with back to back solo homeruns in the eighth to extend the lead to 8-4.   

Wilcox answered the Warriors blasts with his second homerun of the game in the bottom of the eighth—this two-run homerun narrowed L-C’s lead to 8-6, but proved to be too little too late.  

In the bottom of the ninth, Hardy entered the game for the Warriors with one out and a runner on first and second, and after a fly-out to center and a strikeout, left with his second save of the year.  

The Warriors return home and get set to face another NCAA opponent in Gonzaga University on Sunday. The game is schedule to begin at 2 p.m.