LEWISTON, Idaho – It might be called the Red Lion Tournament, but Lewis-Clark State College senior Brian Gaylord was the lion that roared on Saturday at LCSC’s Harris Field.
The first baseman/designated hitter smacked three home runs, including a grand slam, and drove in 10 runs on the day to help the Warriors roll past Concordia 17-5 and College of Idaho 10-3 to clinch the title in the four-team tournament, which concludes on Sunday.
Gaylord drove in six runs in the opener with a pair of three-run home runs and then hit a grand slam in the second contest. He finished the day 4-for-10 with four runs scored to help the Warriors improve to 4-0 on the young season.
“I was taking more pitches today and got ahead in the count early,” Gaylord said. “I think I got better timing over the weekend.”
Gaylord said he can’t remember ever hitting a grand slam, hitting three home runs in one day, or driving in 10 runs.
In Saturday’s late game, College of Idaho met Corban.
Because the other three teams have at least two losses in the tourney, none of them can catch the Warriors. Play wraps up on Sunday with Concordia facing the College of Idaho at 11 a.m., followed by LCSC and Corban at 2 p.m.
LCSC 17, Concordia 5
As they have all tournament, the Warriors struck early with four runs in the first and another in the second for a 5-0 lead. Concordia cut the margin to 5-4 in the fifth, but the Warriors scored five runs in the sixth and then six more in the seventh for the lopsided win.
Gaylord got the Warriors on the board first. Freshman Kyle Knigge singled with one out to start the rally in the bottom of the first and Gino Casini was hit by a pitch. Gaylord, batting cleanup in this game, followed with a full-count three-run home run over the right-field fence. Junior third baseman Trent Bridges added his second home run in as many days with a solo shot to make it 4-0.
Cody Weiss led off the Warrior second with a double down the left-field line and Knigge picked up his first RBI of the season with a single to right.
Concordia’s Riley Tubbs hit a two-run home run off of LCSC starter Anthony Armanino (1-0), and Tommy Whalen added a two-run double in the fifth of off Casey Edelbrock.
LCSC answered with a run in the fifth when Gaylord reached on a dropped fly ball and scored on a double by Braxton Miller.
The Warriors broke the game open with five runs on four hits in the sixth inning. After the first two batters were hit by pitches, Weiss smacked a two-run double to left-center field. Connor Moore followed with an RBI double, and Casini added an RBI single. The final run came in on sacrifice fly by Miller.
LCSC extended the lead in the seventh with six runs on four hits and two Concordia errors. Weiss started the rally with a walk and scored on Jake Eccles’ double to left. After a walk to Casini, Gaylord smacked another three-run home run to right field. Bridges later doubled in a run and scored on a dropped fly ball.
LCSC had six players collect at least two hits in the game as the Warriors finished with 18 overall. Moore went 3-for-5 with an RBI, while Miller was 2-for-4 with two RBI as was Weiss, who also scored three runs. Bridges went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored, while Knigge was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Tubbs went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored for Concordia.
Armanino went three innings and allowed three hits, two runs, and one walk. He also struck out two. Edelbrock went five innings and gave up three hits and two runs with four strikeouts. Paul Anaya pitched the final inning and allowed an unearned run and two hits.
LCSC 10, College of Idaho 3
The Warriors trailed for the first time this season when they allowed a run in the top of the first, but they quickly answered in what has been a big early season inning for them with six runs in the bottom of the inning. LCSC has now scored 18 runs in the first inning in their four games this season.
College of Idaho grabbed a 1-0 lead of off LCSC starter Tyler Barrett when Kyle Davis walked and moved up to third on consecutive pickoff throwing errors by Barrett. Former Warrior Kyle Douglas then singled to left to score Davis.
LCSC answered big in the bottom of the inning with six runs on three hits, four walks, and an error. Kevin Lovelace opened the inning by reaching on a throwing error and Weiss followed with a bunt single. Casini and Miller then drew back-to-back walks, the latter forcing in a run.
Gaylord then followed with his big smash to right-center field on the first pitch he saw.
“Controlled aggression,” Gaylord said, smiling about his three-home run day.
Lovelace later singled in a run to make it 6-1.
The Coyotes cut it to 6-2 in the second when Jesse Dodd doubled and later scored on a single by Andrew Sewell.
The Warriors made it 10-2 with a four-run third inning, again with help from Coyote pitching. Bridges started the rally with a single and Eccles followed with a walk. After both runners moved up a base on a failed picked off attempt, College of Idaho appeared ready to get out of the inning with a pair of strikeouts. Lovelace was then intentionally walked with two outs to load the bases. It appeared to work when Weiss struck out. The pitch, however, got past the Coyote catcher and Weiss was able to reach first and Bridges scored. Casini then made the Coyotes pay with a three-run double and a 10-2 lead.
College of Idaho’s final run came in the sixth when Dodd was hit by a pitch and eventually scored on a single by Cody Spencer.
Barrett (1-0) pitched four innings for the Warriors and allowed seven hits and one earned run. He also walked one and struck out six. Tyrell Poggemeyer pitched the final five innings and allowed two hits and one run. He also struck out six but walked two.
College of Idaho starter Jesse Vermillion went three innings and gave up five hits and 10 runs, but only four were earned. He walked seven and struck out five. Wes Semonchuk pitched well in relief as he allowed only one hit over five innings with one strikeout.
College of Idaho outhit LCSC 9-6 in the game and the Warriors had five errors, but the Coyotes left nine on, compared to five for LCSC.
Gaylord went 1-for-4 with four RBI, while Casini was 1-for-4 with three RBI. Bridges was the lone Warrior with more than one hit in the game as he had two.
The heart of LCSC’s lineup, Casini, Miller and Gaylord, has put up impressive numbers three days into the season. Casini is hitting .462 with four extra-base hits and 10 RBI. Gaylord is at .313 with 11 RBI, a triple, and his three home runs, while Miller is at .385 with two home runs, two doubles and seven RBI.
“I like what I see,” Gaylord said in accessing the Warriors’ start. “We’re pretty good offensively and defensively, although we’ve made some errors, and the pitching has been solid.”
