Warriors split Sunday’s doubleheader with Oregon Tech

5-4-08

For the first time this season, the Warriors’ potent offense was shutout. The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team fell to Oregon Tech 1-0 in a scheduled seven-inning game, but bounced back to win the second game 7-3 in a Sunday afternoon doubleheader at Harris Field.  

The Warriors could only come up with three hits, a season-low and lowest since 2006,  in the first game, while in the second game they cruised to 15 hits—four of them in the first inning.

 The loss snapped the Warriors’ 17 game winning streak, and they now stand at 47-5 overall—with all five losses being by one run. Oregon Tech is now 22-30. 

In the first game, Oregon Tech junior Carlos Ruvalcaba, did what no other pitcher has been able to do against the Warrior lineup, as he went seven innings, stranded three hits, and gave up no runs. Ruvalcaba, had zero strikeouts, but did have good defense behind him as the Hustlin’ Owls finished the game errorless.  

Nick Masters went five innings giving up one run and striking out three in his eighth start for the Warriors this season, and Justin Mace came on in relief to throw two shutout innings. 

The only run of the game was scored in the top of the third when Oregon Tech’s Trenton Smith started the inning off with a single to right field. Frank Drake then followed with a single down the right field line to give the Hustlin’ Owls runners at first and second, and Ryson Mauricia smacked a double, one of his three hits in the game, to score the only, and game winning run.  

LCSC, which had a dramatic walk-off home run ending in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader with OIT, came closest to scoring in the bottom of the seventh. Brian Ward led the inning off with a single through the left side. And then Bollwit, pinch running for Ward, was moved to second via a sacrifice bunt from Nic Benton. However, the next two batters failed to drive in the tying run. 

In the second game, the Warriors made up for their first game lack of production by recording a hit in every inning at the plate—with every starter getting at least one hit. Ricky Reavis finished with three hits, while Brian Bollwit and Paul Martin both had two. 

Starter Blaine Hardy took the win for the Warriors a he pitched five shutout innings with five strikeouts. 

Despite hits in every inning, the Warriors scored in only two innings—three in the first, and four in the sixth. 

Nic Benton kick started the Warrior offense with a leadoff bunt single in the first inning. Martin then stroked a double to right field, and with one walk, two singles, and two sacrifice flies later the Warriors were up 3-0. 

LCSC, which has an all-time record against OIT of 14-2, also struck in the sixth when, with two outs, it used three walks an error and two hits to bring four more runs in.  

Taylor Skinner produced Oregon Tech’s only runs as he hit a three-run home run in the top of the seventh.  

LCSC now prepares to face Concordia in the opening round of the regional tournament. The tournament will be played at British Columbia next Thursday-Saturday and the winner of the tourney will host the Super Regional the following week.