LC takes advantage of opportunities to sweep Simpson
Bert Sahlberg, LCSC
LEWISTON, Idaho – J.J. Robinson hit his team-leading fifth home run of the season and drove in five runs, while Robert Smith had four RBI and scored five times to help the No. 2-ranked Lewis-Clark State College baseball team sweep an NAIA West doubleheader from Simpson University by scores of 11-5 and 9-6 at LCSC’s Harris Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Warriors improve to 19-2 overall and 9-2 in league play, and are now 18-0 all-time against the Red Hawks from Redding, Calif. Simpson falls to 2-23 overall and 2-9 in league play.
While the Warriors were outhit in both contests, the 20 walks and five hit batters issued by the Simpson pitching staff paved the way for the LC sweep. LCSC actually trailed 6-4 early in the second game, but walks, hit batters and wild pitches allowed the Warriors to rally and claim the sweep.
Robinson had only two hits on the day but managed to drive in five runs, while leadoff man Jacob Zanon actually went hitless in the two games but still managed to score five runs. Smith had solid at-bats in both games and finished 3-for-6 with four RBI and five runs scored.
Gunnar Buhner and Tyler McDowell each drove in three runs, but the Warrior pitching staff struggled at times and gave up 10 earned runs.
In the first game, the Warriors jumped out to an 11-1 lead before Simpson scored three runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to close the gap. Buhner’s sacrifice fly in the second inning pushed across the first run, while Smith was hit by a pitch, stole second and third, and scored on a throwing error that gave LCSC a 2-1 lead.
The Warriors scored four times in the sixth for a 6-1 lead. Smith’s RBI double started the scoring, while Robinson added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. McDowell and Hayden Meier were hit by back-to-back pitches to force in the third run, while the final run came in on Cabe Reiten’s sacrifice fly.
LCSC put the game away in the top of the sixth with five runs on four hits. Smith singled in the first run, while Robinson hit a three-run home run to right field. The final run scored on a wild pitch.
Simpson picked up three runs in the seventh with the help of two walks and a two-run single from Matthew Kiyota. A balk scored the final run.
Simpson added its final run in the eighth on an RBI double from Dylan Mumford.
Simpson out-hit LCSC 9-6 in the contest, but three Red Hawks’ pitchers issued 11 walks and hit four batters.
The second game started out as more of the same as LCSC scored a single run in the first on two walks and a two-out RBI single by Buhner. LCSC made it 4-0 in the second on a single, an error, a two-run single by Smith and a bases-loaded walk to Buhner.
Simpson’s bats produced seven hits and five runs in the third that gave the Red Hawks a 5-4 lead. Casey Meyer had an RBI double, while Mumford and Chase Root added RBI singles.
LCSC tied the contest in the fourth on a walk to Zanon and an RBI double by Robinson. The Warriors then added two more in the sixth for a 7-5 lead. Smith again walked to open the inning and Buhner doubled him to third. McDowell then hit a two-run single to center to put LC ahead for good.
The Warriors added two insurance runs in the eighth. Reiten and Robinson walked, and Buhner followed with a single to load the bases. McDowell followed with a sacrifice fly to right to score Reiten, while Dylan Tashjian’s sacrifice fly to center brought in the game’s final run.
The Warriors were outhit 13-8 in the contest but used nine walks, two errors and a hit batter to do their damage.
Henry McAree pitched four innings of one-hit ball to earn the victory in the opener and improve to 4-0 overall. He also struck out three.
Anthony Balderas, the fourth of five pitchers for LCSC, earned the win in the second game to go to 3-1. He didn’t allow a baserunner in his three innings of work and struck out three. Noel Gonzalez pitched the ninth to earn his fourth save.
The two teams complete a four-game series on Sunday at noon in a non-league contest at Harris Field. LCSC will then play its next 13 games on the road. Its next home game is April 8 at 4 p.m. against the College of Idaho.