LEWISTON, Idaho – Perhaps it is part of the give-and-take theory, but the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team made sure to do more taking than giving on Friday.
After committing two errors which gave Dickinson State two runs to tie the game in the top of the seventh inning, the Warriors turned the table and used two Blue Hawk errors en route to a five-run bottom of the seventh to claim an 8-3 win in the second day of the Guardian Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Tournament at LCSC’s Harris Field.
The Warriors are now 2-0 in the tournament and 5-1 overall, while Dickenson State opened its season Friday and is 1-1.
This contest was the first one in the tournament not decided by late-game heroics, all of which have gone against Northwest Nazarene University. LCSC scored five runs in the bottom of the ninth in the tournament’s opening game on Thursday to edge NNU 8-7. St. Martin’s then scored three runs in the top of the 10th inning to defeat NNU 9-6, and Dickenson State needed a run in the 11th inning to defeat the Crusaders 6-5.
That leaves Lewis-Clark State on top of the standings, while St. Martin’s is 1-0 and NNU is 0-3. Tournament action continues on Saturday with LCSC and Dickinson State meeting again at noon, followed by NNU and St. Martin’s at 2:30 p.m. The tournament wraps up on Sunday with Dickinson State and St. Martin’s at 11 a.m. and LCSC and St. Martin’s at 1:30 p.m.
In Friday’s win, the Warriors put up two runs in the first inning and cruised into the seventh with a 3-1 lead. However, the Warrior defense had some problems, which aided Dickinson State.
Warrior shortstop Todd Muecklisch fielded a routine grounder to start the seventh and fired across to first baseman Rene Escobar, who proceeded to drop the ball, allowing Mike Nash to reach safely. Cody Holland followed with a double and pinch-hitter Brandon Loveridge followed with a grounder to Muecklisch, who thought about trying to get Nash at home, but then changed his mind and threw wild to first, which pulled Escobar off the base. After a passed ball moved runners to second and third, Liam Foran’s ground out scored Loveridge.
The Warriors didn’t wait long to retake the lead as Dickinson State’s infield returned the favor. Vaughan Prow started the Warrior seventh with a double. After a ground out, Sean Halton’s grounder was misplayed by the Blue Hawk shortstop for an error to put runners on the corners. Armando Reyes followed with a grounder that Dickinson State appeared ready to turn into a double play to get out of the inning, but Loveridge, playing second, dropped a throw from third-baseman Nash and all were safe, including Prow who scored on the play.
That opening was all the Warriors’ needed as Chris Lum hit an RBI single and Travis Georgius added a two-run double. Freshman Trent Bridges, who was making his first Warrior start, added an RBI single to complete the scoring.
LCSC also used an error in the first to put up two runs. Prow hit a one-out double and Escobar reached on a throwing error by Chance Holland, the Blue Hawk shortstop, which allowed Prow to score. Escobar later scored on a wild pitch.
The Warriors made it 3-0 in the fourth when Bridges drove in a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field.
Dickinson State picked up its first run when Nash hit a solo home run to center field to lead off the fifth inning. Nash led the Blue Hawks by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Prow, Georgius and Muecklisch had two hits apiece for LCSC, while Georgius and Bridges drove in two runs each.
Neither starting pitcher figured in the decision, although both pitched well. Michael Guerrero allowed three hits, three walks and one run in his five innings and also struck out two. Dustin Willis gave up two hits and the two unearned runs in three innings, and also picked up the win. Andrew LeDuc struck out two in his only inning.
Dickinson State starter Jamil Acosta went five innings and gave up four hits and three runs, only one of which was earned. Reliever Shane Niederklein was touched for seven hits and five runs in his three innings, but none of the runs were earned.
Only two of the 11 runs in the game were earned.
