LEWISTON, Idaho - Steve Sabins and Brandon Roper-Hubbert both hit home runs and closer Phillip Reamy pitched a season-high 6.2 innings to help Embry-Riddle University erase a 6-1 deficit in the third inning and claim a 10-7 win over top-ranked Lewis-Clark State College in a loser-out contest at the 54th annual Avista NAIA World Series at LCSC's Harris Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Both Sabins and Roper-Hubbert slugged two-run home runs and combined to drive in five runs as the seventh-seeded Eagles (47-18) guaranteed themselves no worse than a fourth-place finish in the 10-team double-elimination tournament.
LCSC, which scored five runs in the top of the first inning and appeared to be on its way to a big win, lost for the second time in less than 24 hours and finish the season at 48-5. The Warriors were the top-ranked NAIA team the entire regular season.
While the Embry-Riddle bats matched the Warriors with 13 hits apiece, the difference maker was Reamy. The 6-foot-2 junior right-hander from Cocoa, Fla., entered the Series with 23 innings pitched in 21 appearances. He had 10 saves, but only rarely pitched more than one inning.
In Tuesday's contest, Reamy entered in the third inning after starter Ryan Vigue failed to get out of the first inning and Austin Quinn was also roughed up in just 1.2 innings. Trying to stop the bleeding, Eagles' coach Randy Stegall turned to Reamy, who allowed six hits and only one run. He also struck out six while easily throwing a season-high 89 pitches.
Roper-Hubbert, who went 2-for-4 with two RBI, hit his two-run home run during a four-run fourth inning that helped the Eagles take a 7-6 lead. The Eagles then went up 8-6, but LCSC's Pat Murray made it 8-7 in the top of the eighth with a solo home run.
In the bottom of the eighth, LCSC closer Henry Buenrostro hit Jeff Lemon with a pitch and Sabins followed with his two-run blast to give the Eagles the final margin of victory.
Reamy improved to 5-0 with the win, while Zach Clanton, the third of four LCSC pitchers, took the loss to fall to 2-2.
The Warriors rolled early with the big first inning as they sent nine batters to the plate and scored five runs on five hits. Josh Ashenbrenner had an RBI double, while Murray added an RBI single. Brian Gaylord then provided the big hit with a three-run home run.
J.T. Warmoth put Embry-Riddle on the board with an RBI single in the second, but LCSC answered in the third on a bases-loaded single by Jason Hague.
Embry-Riddle made it 6-2 in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Aaron Glaum, and then added four in the fourth when an error helped score the first run, while Sabins added a sacrifice fly RBI before Roper-Hubbert's home run.
Embry-Riddle took the lead for good in the fifth on a walk, two sacrifice bunts, and a ground out.
Glaum finished 2-for-5 with an RBI, while Sabins was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Warmoth also added two hits.
Brian Burke went 3-for-5 with two runs scored for LCSC, while Gino Casini went 3-for-4. Gaylord drove in three runs, while Murray had two RBI.
Embry-Riddle will take on Lee University on Wednesday. If Lee defeats Cumberland in Tuesday's late game, the contest will be at 7 p.m. If Lee loses, the contest will be at 3 p.m.
