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May 31, 2011
Contact: Amanda Dahl, NAIA
Manager of Sports Information & Media
Services,
adahl@naia.org
LEWISTON, Idaho -
Junior right-hander Mike Marshall tossed
a three-hit shutout to help sixth-seeded
Lubbock Christian (Texas) move into the
driver's seat at the Avista-NAIA World
Series with a 2-0 win over fourth-seeded
LSU Shreveport (La.) at Harris Field on
Tuesday. The Chaps will take on
fifth-seeded Lee (Tenn.) Wednesday at 7
p.m. PDT.
LSU Shreveport (47-14) will face
ninth-seeded Concordia (Calif.) in
loser-out play at 3 p.m.
Lubbock Christian (49-12) is the lone
undefeated team remaining in the 10-team
double-elimination tournament. LSU
Shreveport is one of three teams
remaining with one loss and also is the
highest seed still alive.
Marshall, who pitched in the NCAA
Division I Tournament last year for
Stanford, outdueled LSU Shreveport
starter Jared Mortensen, who pitched
seven strong innings in the tournament's
first shutout. Marshall, a 6-foot-3,
240-pounder from Chico, Calif., pitched
the first complete game of the
tournament and didn't allow a hit after
the fourth inning. He retired 16 of the
final 20 batters he faced. Marshall
(9-0) struck out eight, walked three and
threw 138 pitches in the contest. With
his eight strikeouts, he eclipsed 100 on
the season. It was his third complete
game and second shutout of the year.
Mortensen, a junior right-hander,
seemed up to the task of matching
Marshall. Mortensen (9-2) took a
three-hitter into the seventh inning
before he tired. He allowed two hits
apiece in the seventh and eighth innings
and finished with a seven-hitter. He
gave up three runs and four walks, but
struck out eight.
The downfall for LSU Shreveport was
wild pitches at inopportune times.
Lubbock Christian spotted Marshall
with all the runs he would need when the
Chaps scored twice in the first inning.
Rich Burnaman opened the frame with a
walk and moved to second on a single by
Nate Peterson, who was replaced by pinch
runner Brett Morte. After a wild pitch
moved the runners up to second and
third, a second wild pitch by Mortensen
allowed Burnaman to score and Morte to
take third. Karl Seiter's sacrifice fly
to right scored Morte to make it a 2-0
lead.
The Chaps' final run came in the
eighth when a double, a bunt single and
a walk loaded the bases with no outs.
After a force out at home, relief
pitcher Cody Boutte uncorked a wild
pitch, which allowed the LCU baserunner
at third to score for the game's final
run. Peterson went 3-for- at the plate
for the Chaps and was the game's only
player with more than one hit.
LSU Shreveport stranded nine base
runners in the game and Lubbock
Christian left 10 stranded.
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