Tommy Whalen drove in two runs for CU
Lewis-Clark State Blows Past Concordia, 17-5
BOX SCORE
LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State scored four runs in the first inning and blew the game open with five runs in the sixth and six more in the seventh as Concordia University fell 17-5 in its only Red Lion Inn Tournament contest scheduled for Saturday.
Steven Taft takes the loss for the Cavaliers in his first start of the season, yielding 11 runs on 11 hits in five innings pitched. Anthony Armanino earned the win for the Warriors, allowing two runs on three hits in three innings. Concordia dropped to 2-2 in the season-opening tournament, with two losses to Lewis-Clark State and wins against Corban and College of Idaho.
Kyle Knigge started the Warriors’ first-inning rally with a one-out single through the right side. He would advance on a wild pitch before Gino Casini reached after being hit by a pitch. Brian Gaylord drove in both of them, knocking a home run over the right field wall. Following Braxton Miller’s flyout to center, Trent Bridges hit a homer to right center to put LCSC up 4-0.
The Warriors added a run in the bottom of the second. Cody Weiss led off with a double down the left field line and came in to score on Knigge’s single to right to make it a 5-0 lead.
Concordia got on the board with two runs in the top of the third, as Jon Houts singled down the right field line and scored on Riley Tubbs’ home run to left center. Sean Myrom followed it up with a double down the left field line, but the Cavs were unable to bring him home.
The Cavs added two more in the top of the fifth to make it a one-run game at 5-4. Tubbs laid down a bunt single and advanced to third on Myrom’s single down the left field line, while Myrom reached second on the throw to third. Tommy Whalen brought them both home with a double to left center, his only hit of the game.
Lewis-Clark State responded to CU getting back in the game over the next three innings. Gaylord reached base and advanced to second on an error by Houts in center. Miller made the Cavs pay for the fielding miscue with an RBI double to left to put LCSC’s lead at 6-4. The Warriors would score 11 more runs over the following two innings.
Taft faced five batters in the fifth for CU, and all five came around to score. The CU pitcher hit Cody Garner and Kevin Lovelace to open the inning with runners at first and second. Weiss brought them both home with a double to left center, and he came in to score on Connor Moore’s double. Knigge walked to put runners at first and second with no outs.
After Zac Manor came in to pitch for the Cavs, Casini knocked an RBI single to bring Moore home and leave the first two bases occupied. Gaylord’s single loaded the bases and Miller drove in his second run of the contest with a sacrifice fly to right field for the first out of the inning. Bridges grounded out to third and Lucas Shaw, the 10th batter of the inning, struck out to end the frame. But LCSC had taken an 11-4 lead with five runs on four hits in the inning, leaving two more on the base paths.
It would get worse for Concordia in the seventh. Andrew Nelson took over for Manor to start the inning and got one quick out before walking Weiss to put a runner on. Jason Hague pinch-hit for Moore and struck out looking, but it would take eight more batters before CU would get the third out of the inning.
Jake Eccles, pinch-hitting for Knigge, brought Weiss home with an RBI double down the left field line. Casini walked to put runners at first and second with two outs, and Gaylord popped his second three-run homer of the contest. Miller reached on an error by Myrom at first base, and Bridges knocked an RBI double to center field to score Miller’s unearned run from first. Following Shaw’s single through the left side, Bridges came in to score on when Myrom mishandled a pop up off the bat of Lovelace, the CU first baseman’s second error of the inning. Weiss flew out to center to end the inning, but LCSC scored six runs on four hits with two CU errors to take a 17-4 lead.
Concordia scored its final run in the ninth, when Cosby scored on Brady Miletich’s single to left field in his only at bat of the contest.
Gaylord finished with three hits in six at bats for LCSC, including his two home runs, six runs batted in and three runs scored. Moore also finished with three hits, while Knigge, Miller, Bridges and Weiss each added two for the Warriors.
Tubbs and Myrom each went 2-for-4 for CU, with Tubbs scoring two runs and driving two more home on his first home run of the season.
Concordia finished with five runs on eight hits with three errors in the contest. Lewis-Clark State compiled its 17 runs on 18 hits with two errors.
The Cavaliers play their final contest in the tournament tomorrow morning, when CU faces College of Idaho in a rematch of yesterday’s 12-10 win.