LEWISTON, Idaho – Junior Michael Noteware threw a complete game shutout and the No. 9-ranked Lewis-Clark State College baseball rolled by Linfield College 4-0 on Friday night. The win lifts the Warriors to 38-10 overall and lifts Noteware’s record to a team-leading 9-1.
“I thought Noteware was really good tonight,” said LCSC head coach Gary Picone. “We talked to him about trying to be more efficient and trying to pitch to contact early in the count so he can get deeper in games, and he did it.”
Noteware (pictured left) was not only economical with his pitches on Friday, but he was also downright dominant. He used just 97 pitches to record the 27 outs, surrendering only three hits and two walks. He struck out three.
“My curveball was working for me, and my changeup was probably my best pitch tonight,” Noteware said about the repertoire he used to keep the Wildcats off the bases. “I was able to locate my fastball a little bit, and I just tried to get ground balls.”
The 6-foot right-hander ended up inducing 12 ground out and 11 fly outs and was helped by a couple of standout defensive plays behind him. One of the web gems was by first baseman Eric Peterson who snared a hard hit ground ball near the foul line to get the out and prevent the runner on second from coming home.
Second baseman Mitchell Wilhite also turned in a couple of fine plays including a diving snow-cone catch on a line drive in the seventh.
“I thought Wilhite was the best player on the field,” Picone said. “Defensively he made some plays, and obviously he got the key hits of the game to drive in the two runs.”
Wilhite, who recorded a team season-high eight assists on defense, put the team on the board in the third inning with a one-run single to right field, and also was a part of a two-run rally in the seventh.
The seventh inning scoring effort began with a walk, a single, and an intentional walk to load the bases. This brought Wilhite to the plate and he drilled a single through the left side to score one. Jordan Payne followed this with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to make the score 3-0.
The Warriors tacked on one more run in the eighth with a sac fly by Billy Silvestri, and from here it was history as Noteware mowed down Linfield’s final seven batters in order.
Knigge and Wilhite led LCSC with two hits apiece as the team had just seven hits total. Knigge scored two runs.
The loss drops Linfield, an NCAA Division-III school, to 21-14 on the year.
Noteware’s complete game shutout is the first one recorded by a Warrior pitcher since 2010. When asked about his personal win/loss record, the native of Tujunga, Calif., was quick to note that the team’s overall record is more important.
“I have run support so I’ve been able to get wins, but I’m just doing my job to help the team win.”
Friday’s contest was billed as Rally the Valley Night and attendance was aided by a promotion allowing all Avista NAIA World Series volunteers, past and present, to receive free admission.
The two teams will play again at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday is billed as Youth Baseball and Softball Day and all fans wearing their team uniform will receive free admission.
