LEWISTON, Idaho –
Senior Ikaika Lester
and Kyle Greene both
were one hit short of
the cycle and three
pitchers combined on a
two-hitter as two-time
defending champion
Lewis-Clark State
College thump
Embry-Riddle University
19-0 in the opening
round of the 52nd annual
Avista NAIA World Series
at LCSC’s Harris Field
on Friday night.
The contest, which ended
at 11:38 p.m., PST, was
stopped in the seventh
inning because of the
10-run rule.
The Warriors, ranked No.
2 in the final NAIA poll
and the third seed in
the tournament, took
advantage of
Embry-Riddle miscues
early to take a 12-0
lead after two innings
and 17-0 after four.
Lester, who fell a
triple short of the
cycle, went 4-for-5 with
five RBI in the first
four innings of the
game. Lester hit a
two-run double in the
first inning, a two-run
home run in the second
inning, led of the third
inning with a single,
and added a double in
the fourth.
Greene, the Region I
Player of the Year, hit
a two-run in the third
inning and a two-run
double in the fourth to
finish with four RBI. He
went 3-for-3 with four
RBI and three runs
scored. Greene came up a
single short of the
cycle and was replaced
by a pinch-hitter in the
bottom of the sixth.
Both Lester and Greene
had three of the four
hits for the cycle by
the fourth inning.
Matt Fitts, who returned
to LCSC for his junior
season despite being
drafted in the 15th
round by the Houston
Astros, checked
Embry-Riddle on one hit
through four innings.
With the game in hand,
LCSC coach Ed Cheff
pulled Fitts to save him
for later in the
tournament. Justin Mace
pitched the next two
hitless innings, while
Blaine Hardy pitched the
final inning and allowed
an infield single. The
three combined to strike
out seven.
Embry-Riddle also was
its own worst enemy at
times. The Eagles
committed five errors
and six pitchers allowed
seven walks and hit two
batters. Starting
pitcher Jordan Roberts
didn’t make it out of
the first inning as he
gave up four walks and
hit two batters. He also
gave up a hit and
finished his two-thirds
of an inning stint by
allowing four runs.
David Reynolds, the
sixth and final pitcher
for the Eagles, was the
only one to go at least
one inning without
allowing a run.
With the win, the
Warriors improve to 54-6
and will receive a bye
until Monday’s action.
Embry-Riddle falls to
41-17 and will play
Jamestown at noon on
Saturday in loser-out
play.