LEWISTON, Idaho – Kris Miller hit a grand slam and drove in five runs to help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team end the regular season on a high note with a 10-7 win over St. Martin’s at LCSC’s Harris Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The win gave the Warriors a three-game sweep over the Saints and improved their record to 39-13, while St. Martin’s finishes its season at 22-30.
Next up for the Warriors is the 53rd annual Avista NAIA World Series, which opens May 22 at Harris Field. Although pairings for the tournament won’t be set until this weekend, the Warriors, unless they receive a first-round bye, will open play in the final game at 7:30 p.m. on May 22.
On a blustery day with the wind blowing in from right field, Miller hammered the first pitch from Jeff Brooks over the left-field fence for his fourth home run of the year. The sixth inning grand slam broke the game open and put LCSC ahead 9-4. A three-run blast by St. Martin’s Travis Jones in the ninth inning made the score close.
St. Martin’s jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, thanks to four hits and an error. Ryan DiMascio had an RBI double in the inning, while Blaine Evans singled in a run.
LCSC picked up two runs in the third on an RBI single by Sean Halton and a fielder’s choice grounder by Miller.
The Warriors tied the game at 3 in the fourth inning on a double by Paul Martin, who scored on a two-out single by Josh Ashenbrenner.
St. Martin’s regained the lead in the top of the fifth at 4-3 on a solo home run by Shane Schoeneberg.
The Warriors took the lead for good in the sixth inning with five runs on just three hits, After two outs to start the inning, St. Martin’s brought in Josh Long, the third of seven pitchers it used in the game. He promptly walked Ashenbrenner and then gave up consecutive singles to Kawika Emsley-Pai and Halton, the latter producing the tying run. A walk to Ben Ornelas loaded the bases and Brooks was brought in to face Miller, who earlier in the game hammered consecutive pitches over the fence, but foul. This time, Miller kept it fair for the grand slam.
LCSC’s final run came in the eighth inning when Ashenbrenner singled and scored on a double by Emsley-Pai.
LCSC finished with 14 hits, including four by Ashenbrenner, who went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and an RBI. Emsley-Pai went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, while Halton went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Ashenbrenner, Emsley-Pai and Halton were the Nos. 2-4 hitters in LCSC’s lineup and combined to go 9-of-13 with four RBI and six runs scored.
The Warriors used three pitchers in the contest and the final one, Dustin Willis, picked up the win. Willis went four innings and allowed the three-run home run, but all three runs were unearned because of an error. He also struck out four.
Stephen Foster began the game and went 2.1 innings and allowed three runs (two earned) with one walk and two strikeouts. Henry Buenrostro went 2.2 innings and gave up three hits and one run.
