C of I skipper Shawn Humberger and L-C Coach Gus Knickerehm
LEWISTON, Idaho - A three-run home run by Braxton Miller in the first inning held up for Lewis-Clark State, as the Warriors knocked off The College of Idaho, 5-1, in an elimination game at the 56th Annual AVISTA-NAIA World Series, before a crowd of 2,530 at Harris Field.
The Warriors (42-13) will move on to play either LSU-Shreveport or Rogers State on Monday afternoon, while the Coyotes season comes to a close at 41-21.
L-C struck for four unearned runs in the opening frame – all with two outs. Alfonso Casillas hit a hot-shot through first-baseman Jesse Dodd, ruled an error, to score Kyle Knigge, with Miller following with his tenth homer of the season to push the Warriors lead to 4-0.
Casillas came through again in the third, singling home Knigge, who led off the frame with a double, to make it 5-0.
The Yotes stranded a pair of runners in the third, but broke through against LCSC starter Anthony Armanino in the fifth, as Andrew Sewell was hit by a pitch and Izaac Garsez walked. Jarel Lewis followed with an RBI single to score Sewell – but Tanner Hodges grounded out to end the threat.
Todd Griffiths kept The C of I in the game, getting 12 ground ball outs – inducing four double play balls to end the fourth, seventh, eighth, and ninth innings. The senior did not walk a man and struck out five.
The C of I had a final chance in the ninth, as singles from Jeffrey Harris and Tyler Andazola, followed by a walk to Brett Ward, loaded the bases with one out. However, Armanino struck out Zach Fabricius and got Garsez to fly out to deep left-center to end the game.
Armanino picked up his tenth win, allowing eight hits and striking out eight. Knigge, Jordan Payne, and Trent Bridges each had two hits for L-C, while Lewis and Griffiths each had two hits for the Yotes.
NOTES – The game marked the final game for eight C of I seniors – Griffiths, Sewell, Ward, Hodges, Garsez, Harris, Joshua Orr, Chad Yeggy…L-C improved to 4-1 all-time against the Yotes in NAIA World Series play and won the 2012 season series, 4-2.