LACEY, Wash. – Michael Guerrero, Brad Schwarzenbach and Henry Buenrostro combined on a seven-hitter and struck out 13 to help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team stretch its win streak to a season-high eight games with a 4-1 win over St. Martin’s in the start of a three-game series against the Saints on Friday.
The Warriors improved to 19-6 with the win and avenged a 3-1 setback to St. Martin’s early in the season at the Guardian Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning Tournament at LCSC’s Harris Field. St. Martin’s, an NCAA Division II school, is now 13-14 overall.
Guerrero, a senior left-hander, was especially sharp as he went seven innings and allowed just five hits and one run. He also struck out seven and walked one to improve to 4-0, tying Dustin Willis for the best record on the team. However, Guerrero apparently hurt himself while warming up on the mound prior to the start of the bottom of the seventh inning and had to come out of the game. The extent of his injury is not known.
Schwarzenbach, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow, made his second appearance of the season and again looked extremely sharp. The senior struck out three of the four batters he faced and has now retired six of seven hitters.
Buenrostro, a junior right-hander, came on in the eighth and after giving up two hits in the inning, he retired the Saints in order in the ninth, all on strikeouts, to earn his first save of the season.
At the plate, the Warriors out-hit the Saints 10-7, but both teams had problems with leaving runners on base. LCSC stranded 12, while St. Martin’s left 10.
Todd Muecklisch led the Warriors at the plate by going 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Brian Ward also had two hits and drove in a run.
LCSC started the scoring in the top of the first when Muecklisch, who is just coming back after missing nearly a month of the season with an injury, led off the game with a walk. After advancing to second on a passed ball and then taking third on Josh Ashenbrenner’s fly out, Muecklisch scored on Ward’s RBI ground out to the Saints’ shortstop.
St. Martin’s picked up its only run in the first inning to tie the game. Ryan DiMascio drew a walk and then reached third on a double by Andy Cole. Shane Shoeneberg followed with an RBI single, but Guerrero then settled down to later get out of a one-out bases loaded jam. Following the last two outs, Guerrero faced the minimum 11 batters over the next four innings before allowing a two-out single.
The Warriors picked up solo runs in the third and fourth innings for a 3-1 lead. In the third, Muecklisch again started the rally, this time with a single. After advancing to second on a ground out and third on a balk, Muecklisch scored on a single by Sean Halton, who now leads the team with 29 RBI.
In the fourth inning, Bernard Pena opened the frame with his second home run of the season. His solo shot to right field made it 3-1.
LCSC’s final run came in the ninth inning when Muecklisch doubled to left-center and Ashenbrenner followed with an RBI single. The Warriors, however, left the bases loaded in the inning.
St. Martin’s starter James Douglas took the loss. He went five innings and allowed six hits and three runs. He also walked three.
The two teams meet again on Saturday at 1 p.m. and then conclude the series with a contest at noon on Sunday. That game will be the last of eight consecutive games on the road for LCSC. Starting on Wednesday, the Warrior will play their next seven at home.
