May 28, 2011

Contact: Amanda Dahl, NAIA Manager of Sports Information & Media Services, adahl@naia.org

LEWISTON, Idaho - Three Oklahoma City pitchers combined a six-hitter and worked out of a pair of bases-loaded jams to help the second-seeded Stars defeat No. 7 seed Lewis-Clark State (Idaho), 2-1, to complete second-round play at the Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field on Saturday.

Oklahoma City (47-10), which was making its debut in the 10-team double-elimination tournament after a first-round bye, will play again on May 30 against sixth-seeded Lubbock Christian (Texas) at 7 p.m. PDT. LCSC (38-15) will meet fifth-seeded Lee (Tenn.) in loser-out play on May 30 at noon.

Senior right-hander Ryan Theriot (11-1) started the game and showed why he has been the workhorse for the Stars this season with an outstanding 7 1/3 inning performance. He allowed six hits and one run with eight strikeouts and three walks. Junior left-hander Allen Townsend came on in the eighth with runners on first and third with one out and, despite walking the first batter he faced, he retired the next two to preserve OCU's lead. Dearth Parker, who started the game in center field, got out of a jam in the ninth to preserve the win and earn his second save of the season.

Both teams had chances to do damage in the contest, but neither club could pick up the key hit when needed. LCSC left 14 stranded on base and had two runners picked off and the Stars left eight on.

Oklahoma City gained the upper hand in the contest in the third inning when the Stars struck for a run against Lewis-Clark State starter Tyler Barrett. Scott Dalrymple, hitting ninth in the Stars' lineup, ripped a double to right-center field to open the inning and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Ruben Sosa. Parker followed with a walk, but was caught leading too far off first and was eventually tagged out during a rundown. However, Dalrymple was able to score during the rundown.

The Warriors threatened in the fourth when they started with a single and a walk, but Alfonso Casillas was picked off second base for the first out. That came back to haunt the Warriors because a hit batter and a single followed, which would have produced a run. Instead it loaded the bases with one out and Theriot came up big with a strikeout and a ground out to escape without allowing a run.

OCU added its second run in the top of the fifth. Chad Carmen was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a single by Sosa. Casey Edelbrock came into pitcher for LCSC and got Parker to ground out to deep shortstop, which allowed Carmen to score.

The Warriors broke on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth when Kevin Lovelace reached on a walk and scored on a double by freshman Kyle Knigge.

LCSC threatened in the eighth when Gino Casini led off with a double and moved to third on a ground out. After Kevin Patterson was hit by a pitch, Townsend replaced Theriot and walked Knigge to load the bases. Townsend got a short fly out to left and a ground out to end the threat.

The Warriors again threatened in the ninth when Trent Bridges opened with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brian Gaylord. Parker then replaced Townsend and got Casillas to hit a grounder back to the mound. Parker alertly caught Bridges trying for third and Bridges was eventually tagged out in a rundown while Casillas remained at first. Bryan Abrey then pinch-ran for Casillas and reached second on a wild pitch. Casini followed with a four-pitch walk, but as it had all game, OCU escaped the jam. Parker ran the count to 3-0 on Lovelace before throwing a strike. His next pitch was lined back to the pitcher's mound, which Parker caught to end the game (click here to watch the final out of the game).

Sosa finished 3-for-4 for the Stars at the plate and Matt Presley was 2-for-4.

Knigge had two hits for LCSC. Edelbrock and Zach Arneson each threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Both gave up two hits but didn't walk a batter.