SPOKANE – The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team had the rare misfortune of being shutout for the fourth consecutive game on Tuesday. This time the goose egg came against Whitworth University as the Warriors mustered only five hits and fell to the Pirates by a final score of 1-0.
The Warriors, ranked No. 18 in the NAIA poll released on Tuesday, have now failed to score in a record 34 consecutive innings which has caused their overall record to dip to 21-11. The win lifted Whitworth to 15-16.
Pirate starting pitcher Nathan Johnson ended up facing just 31 batters in the game as he pitched all nine innings and kept the slumping Warrior hitters from finding answers. The right-hander mowed through the Warrior lineup with an equal assortment of ground outs, pop ups, and fly outs and finished the game with one strikeout and no walks.
The Warriors one good chance to break the scoreless streak came in the fifth when Gino Casino reached base on an error by the shortstop and then stole second. Kyle Knigge came to the plate next and smacked a single to left field which sent the fleet-footed Casini on the move. Casini rounded third and headed for home but was thrown out at the plate.
Outside of the fifth inning, LCSC failed to advance a runner past second base.
On the brighter side for the Warriors, Cody Garner also turned in a strong pitching performance as he threw six innings and surrendered just one run and three hits. He struck out five.
The only run of the game came in the fourth when Whitworth third baseman Landon Scott hit a leadoff home run over the fence in left center field.
Both teams finished with five hits and four men left on base, and Whitworth committed the only two errors in the game.
The Warriors will try to shake off their hitting troubles with a five-game series with NAIA West-leading University of British Columbia this weekend. The Warriors and the No. 7-ranked Thunderbirds will square off with a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. on Friday, another doubleheader at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and then round it out with a single game at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Saturday is Dollar Day at Harris Field and will feature $1 admission, $1 specials at the concession stand, and also give fans a chance to meet LCSC’s players with a poster signing session after the second game.
