PORTLAND, Ore. - The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team tied its best start since the 1991 season by completing a three-game sweep of Concordia, defeating the Cavaliers 9-0 on Sunday.
LCSC, which outscored Concordia 24-7 in the series, improves to 17-1 overall and stretched its win streak to 16 straight. LCSC's only loss this season came in a 7-6 setback to Concordia on Feb. 12. The Cavaliers are now 3-12 overall.
The Warriors used an eight-run second inning and solid pitching from junior right-hander Tyler Knigge to roll in Sunday's contest. The Warriors sent 11 players to the plate in the second and used five hits, including a two-run home run from Brian Gaylord, two hit batters, and an error to do the damage.
Knigge improved to 4-0 on the season with a solid five innings. He allowed three hits and one walk, but struck out seven. Seth Haehl followed with two scoreless innings and two strikeouts, while Jorge Sanchez and Zach Clanton added a scoreless inning each. Sanchez allowed a hit and a walk, along with a strikeout. Clanton retired Concordia in order in the ninth and also picked up a strikeout.
In all, the four pitchers combined on a four-hitter with two walks and 11 strikeouts.
The Warriors wasted little time in rolling in this one. Gaylord, who has been on a tear this season, singled to open the inning and went to third on a double by Pat Murray. After Concordia starter Josh O'Gorman retired the next two hitters and seemed on the verge of getting out of the jam, he hit consecutive batters, Travis Georgius and Jason Hague, to force in a run. An error on Concordia's third baseman allowed two runs to score and Josh Ashenbrenner followed with a two-run single to make it 5-0. Brian Burke doubled in a run and then scored when Gaylord smacked his two-run home run, his fourth of the season.
Gaylord went 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored in the game and continues to hit better than .500 on the season.
LCSC's final run came in the fourth inning when Kevin Lovelace was hit by a pitch with one out. After Ashenbrenner walked, Lovelace moved to third on a grounder by Burke. Gaylord followed with an RBI single to score Lovelace.
The Warriors outhit the Cavs 7-4 and allowed Concordia to only put a runner in scoring position in just two innings with Tim Reavis reaching third after drawing a walk in the second and Tyler Anderson making it to second in the eighth following a two-out single by Mike Dickman.
LCSC continues its road trip on Monday and Tuesday with games against St. Martin's in Lacey, Wash. Both days are single game affairs starting at 2 p.m. LCSC then will be off until March 23 when it plays host to Whitworth at 4 p.m.
