Martin drives in seven runs as Warriors claim two tournament victories

2-23-08

Paul Martin (shown left) drove in seven runs and hit one of four home runs in the first game to help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team to a pair of victories at the Guardian Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Tournament on Saturday at LCSC’s Harris Field. 

The Warriors began the day by defeating St. Martin’s University 12-5 as Martin, Ikaika Lester, Chris Lum, and Bernard Pena all went deep in the contest.  LCSC then followed up with a 5-3 win over Western Oregon as Martin had a pair of two-run singles. 

The victories improve LCSC to 9-2 overall and put the Warriors in the driver’s seat at the five-team tournament. LCSC is the only undefeated team in the tourney at 3-0 and will conclude tournament action on Sunday against the University of British Columbia.  St. Martin’s fell to 2-5 overall, while Western Oregon is 7-8 overall. Both teams still have a tournament game remaining on Saturday. 

Against St. Martin’s, the Warriors scored three runs in the first, one in the second, and six in the third for a 10-0 lead. 

The Warrior got things rolling early when Brent Wyatt reached on a fielding error and scored on a double by Lester. Lum followed with a two-run home run to left-center field. 

After Ryan Anderson’s sacrifice fly made it 4-0 in the second, the Warriors piled it on in the third with the help of five hits and two walks. 

Martin homered to center to start the scoring, and after Wyatt drew a walk, Lester followed with his team-leading second home run of the season, also to center field. A single by Lum and a walk to Kepa Wong set up Josh Ashenbrenner’s RBI double. After a two-out walk to Anderson loaded the bases, Martin connected on a single up the middle to drive in two runs. 

St. Martin’s scored a run in the fourth, but LCSC countered with two in the fifth for a 12-1 lead. Pena started the rally with a home run to right-center field, while Lester grounded out into a double play with the bases loaded to bring in the final Warrior run. 

LCSC entered the contest with four home runs in its first nine games, but doubled the total in the game. 

Martin finished 2-for-4 with three RBI, while Lester was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Lum went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Ashenbrenner went 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Pena also went 2-for-4 with an RBI. 

LCSC starter Blaine Hardy improved to 1-1 on the season. He went four innings and allowed two hits and a run. He also struck out three. Kevin Camacho pitched two scoreless and hitless innings with a walk and a strikeout. Dustin Willis had some trouble in his two innings, allowed five hits and four runs, three of which were earned, with three strikeouts. Cameron Litzenberger pitched the final inning and allowed one hit. 

St. Martin’s starter Nick Bolhouse took the loss to fall to 1-1. He allowed seven hits and 10 runs in 2.2 innings, along with four walks. He also struck out two. 

Against Western Oregon, the Warriors had to overcome an early deficit and four errors to claim the win. 

Western Oregon picked up solo runs in the first and third innings for a 2-0 lead, but LCSC tied the game in the bottom of the frame when Brian Ward and Kyle Melton hit one-out singles and Nic Benton reached on a fielding error during a sacrifice bunt to load the bases. Martin singled to right field to drive in Melton and Ward and tie the game. 

The Warriors took the lead for good in the fifth when Melton drew a walk and Benton was hit by a pitch with one out. After a wild pitch moved the runners up a base, Martin singled up the middle for two more RBI and a 4-2 Warrior lead. 

Western Oregon made it 4-3 in the seventh on an RBI groundout by Drew Humphrey, but LCSC countered with a run in the bottom of the eighth. Wyatt started the inning with a walk and moved to second on a two-out single by Lum. Ashenbrenner followed with an RBI single to left to make it 5-3. 

Martin and Melton finished with two hits apiece as LCSC collected only seven in the game. Travis Fox had two of Western Oregon’s five hits and also made a nice diving catch in center field. 

Brad Schwarzenbach picked up his first win of the season. He pitched the first six innings and allowed five hits and two runs, but struck out five. It’s only the second time this season a Warrior pitcher has been used for six innings in a game. Ryan Woods gave up a run in his inning of work before he gave way to Justin Mace, who retired all six batters he faced to earn his second save of the season. Mace struck out two. 

WOU starter Ben Shivers took the loss to fall to 1-2 on the season. He allowed five hits and four runs in seven innings of work. He walked only one and struck out two. 

Saturday’s final two games have Western Oregon against Montana State-Billings, and St. Martin’s against British Columbia. 

On Sunday, action begins at 10 a.m. with MSU-Billings and St. Martin’s, followed by Western Oregon and British Columbia at 12:30 p.m. LCSC and British Columbia wrap up the tournament at 3 p.m.