LEWISTON, Idaho – With a season-high 22 hits in the first game, and solid pitching in the second, the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team had no problem sweeping its doubleheader against Concordia University on Friday. The Warriors won the first contest 17-5 and then took the nightcap 7-3. LCSC, which was again ranked No. 1 in this week’s NAIA poll, is now 39-3 overall with an eight-game winning streak. With the loss, Concordia, now 1-6 against the Warriors this season, falls to 9-30.
The first game featured base hit after base hit—and not necessarily just for the Warriors. Concordia collected 13 hits of its own, but few of them came at the right moment as the Cavaliers ended up leaving 15 runners on base and falling into a deep hole.
Concordia jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to three hits in the first inning, but Connor Moore got the Warriors’ offense rolling in the second when he cleared the bases with a three-run triple off the wall in right field to put the Warriors on top. From this point on the Warriors’ offense never let up as it scored four runs in the third, three in the seventh, and six in the eighth.
Bryan Abrey and Trent Bridges led LCSC with four hits apiece, Brian Burke and Danny Anguiano both had three, and Brian Gaylord, Pat Murray, and Jake Eccles had two each. Moore only had the one hit but finished with a game-high four runs batted in.
Abrey was 4-for-4 with four runs scored, while Murray and Burke drove in three runs apiece. Surprisingly enough, out of the Warriors’ 22 hits none of them were home runs.
Supplied with ample run support, Stephen Foster entered the game in the third inning and worked through the remaining frames with little struggle. Foster, who typically pitches in late relief for an inning or two, ended up throwing six and two-thirds, striking out seven, and surrendering just one earned run to lift his season record to 3-1.
The Warriors didn’t have nearly as many hits in the second game, but they didn’t need as many thanks to effective outings from Cody Fassold and Henry Buenrostro. Fassold started the game and earned the win by throwing six innings, striking out six, and surrendering only three runs. Buenrostro then kept the Cavaliers scoreless over the final three frames to earn the save. The side-arming right-hander gave up two hits and no walks, and struck out four.
Down 3-1 at one point, the Warriors big inning at the plate in game two came in the bottom of the fifth when singles by Gaylord and Burke and a double by Ashenbrenner helped bring in four runs.
The Warriors then added two insurance runs in the sixth thanks, in part, to a sac fly from Ashenbrenner and a one-run double by Murray. Ashenbrenner and Burke led game two with two RBI apiece.
Andrew Reid led the Cavaliers’ efforts on offense with five hits on the day (two in the first, three in the second). Brett Byrd and Brady Miletich accounted for plating four of Concordia’s runs as Byrd drove in two runs in game one, while Miletich drove in two in the nightcap.
The fourth and final game of the series is set for noon on Saturday. Fans are reminded that Saturday is Jr. Warrior Day and will feature a free baseball clinic for kids 12 and under held by the Warrior baseball team. The event starts at 9:30 a.m. at Harris Field, and kids are asked to bring their own mitts.
