LEWISTON, Idaho – Alfonso Casillas drove in two runs with an RBI single to highlight a nine-run second inning – all with two outs – and help the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team roll to a 12-3 win over the College of Idaho in NAIA West action at LCSC’s Harris Field on Sunday.
The win was the third straight for the Warriors, who improved to 7-5 in conference play and 18-6 overall while College of Idaho, which had its 12-game win streak snapped in a doubleheader loss to LCSC on Saturday, fell to 9-7 and 19-13.
After being held to one run and five hits in the opening game of the four-game series, LCSC has 12 or more hits in each of the final three games (43 overall) and outscored the Coyotes 27-7. LCSC also had just one error in the final three games after having six in Friday’s loss.
The nine-run second inning ties for the second-highest output for the Warriors this season. LCSC scored 10 runs in a 15-3 win over St. Martin’s earlier this month.
“I thought we got off to a good start,” LCSC coach Gary Picone said. “And we kept a good mentality throughout.”
College of Idaho didn’t do itself any favors in the second inning as three walks, a hit batter, an error, and a wild pitch helped the Warriors put up the nine runs on only four hits.
Coyote starting pitcher Jess Vermillion ran into control problems early and walked Gino Casini to start the second inning. After a line out, Billy Silvestri singled to right, but Vermillion got a strikeout for the second out. Bryan Abrey was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Cody Weiss and Connor Moore drew consecutive walks to force in two runs. Todd Griffiths then replaced Vermillion, but Trent Bridges followed with a grounder to third that hopped over the glove of third-baseman Cody Spencer, which allowed two runs to score. Casillas then made it 6-0 with his two-run single, while Casini and Braxton Miller ripped back-to-back RBI triples, and Miller scored on a wild pitch for the 9-0 lead.
That was more than enough for the LCSC pitching staff, which held the Coyotes to only two earned runs despite yielding nine walks in the game, which ties a season-high mark.
Starter Tyler Barrett improved to 4-0 and gave up three hits and four walks in six innings of work. He also struck out five and pitched out a bases-loaded jam in the fifth. Zach Clanton gave up two runs in the seventh, while Carsen Nylund allowed a run in the eighth. Alex Murrieta pitched the final 1.1 innings.
The Warriors led 12-0 in the game as they scored one run in the fourth and two in the fifth. In the fourth, Miller singled in a run, while in the fifth Garrett Patterson opened with a single and scored on a double by Abrey. Bridges later singled home Avery.
The Coyotes got on the board in the seventh with two runs with the help of two walks to start the inning. After a passed ball moved the runners to second and third, Jarel Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to right to bring in the first run, while Izaac Garsez had a two-out RBI single.
The Coyotes picked up their final run in the eighth when a pair of singles and a hit batter loaded the bases to set up Anthony Pawelek’s RBI sacrifice fly.
In all, College of Idaho stranded 13 base runners in the game, while LCSC left nine on. The Warriors had all four extra-bases hits of the contest with two doubles and two triples and finished with 16 hits, compared to six for the Coyotes.
Casillas and Miller finished 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Bridges went 4-for-5 with an RBI. Silvestri also had two hits in the game.
This was the first series for LCSC since Feb. 22 that was not interrupted by weather or other problems. LCSC has had eight games either postponed or cancelled during the last month and also had two series change locations because of weather.
The Warriors resume play on Friday when they start a four-game series with Concordia in Portland. Friday’s game is at 2 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday and a game at noon on Sunday.
