Barnett’s arm, Robinson’s bat lead LC to Friday sweep
Zachary Shore, LCSC
WILSONVILLE, Ore. – Jake Barnett recorded the first back-to-back complete game shutout for the Lewis-Clark State baseball team since the 2002 Avista-NAIA World Series and the offense scored seven runs in the final two innings of game two for a Friday sweep at Wilsonville High School.
The Warriors took game one 6-0 and completed the doubleheader sweep with an 11-8 win to improve to 25-2 on the season and 12-2 in NAIA West play. The Corban Warriors fall to 10-16 on the season and 6-8 in conference action.
Barnett got the day started with the fourth complete game shutout against Corban in the history of the series and the 17th nine inning complete game since 2000. It’s the six complete game shutout under Head Coach Jeremiah Robbins.
The junior lefty allowed just seven baserunners on six hits and a hit by pitch to go with seven strikeouts to improve to 4-0.
The offense belted out 12 more hits and scored a single run in the fifth, three in the sixth and two in the seventh for the win.
Micah Brown, who went 4-for-4 in the contest got the fifth inning started with an infield single, but was erased on a double play before Jacob Zanon blasted his fourth home run of the season for the 1-0 lead.
LC State plated three runs on four hits in the sixth with Julian Ramon, Hayden Meier and Gunnar Buhner each recording an RBI. Cabe Reiten got the inning going with a walk and scored on Ramon’s double after J.J. Robinson singled to right. Meier grounded out to plate Robinson and Buhner’s single drove in the final run.
In the seventh, Robinson tripled to left center, scoring Reiten who walked, and scored one batter later on a Ramon sacrifice fly.
Reiten finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two walks while Robinson recorded three hits in five at-bats, scoring twice and driving in one.
Robinson continued his hot hitting in game two with his seventh home run of the season, in the first inning, a three-run shot, scoring Zanon and Reiten who walked and singled, respectively.
Robert Smith’s second home run of the series made it 5-0 for LC in the fifth and with Connor Brogdon on cruise control the Warriors looked to have the game in hand.
The LC right-hander took a no-hitter into the seventh inning with his only baserunner coming on an error in the third, but that all changed quickly.
Brogdon got the first out of the inning, but a hit by pitch, a pair of doubles, two singles and a balk led to four runs on five hits and a tied ball game.
The LC State bats went back to work in the eighth, reclaiming the lead with three runs on four hits. Robinson got the inning going with a one out double then three consecutive two-out singles by Tyler McDowell, Buhner and Brown capped the inning. McDowell’s hit plated Robinson and Brown scored both Buhner and McDowell following a Corban balk.
Henry McAree allowed a two-run home run to Braden Wolgamott in the bottom of the frame to make it a one-run affair, 7-6.
Lewis-Clark State again gave the pitching staff some breathing room with four runs on four hits in the ninth. Zanon singled and advanced to second on an error by the pitcher, scoring on Smith’s double one batter later. Reiten plated Smith with a two-run home run to left field and, with two outs, Buhner doubled home McDowell who had walked earlier.
A walk and three two out hits by the home team knocked McAree from the game, but he moved to 5-0 on the season and Anthony Balderas earned his second save of the year with a strikeout to end the contest.
Brogdon finished with a no-decision, allowing four runs on five hits with five strikeouts in 6.2 innings while McAree earned the win, allowing four runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts in two innings.
Smith led the offense with three hits, scoring twice and driving in two while four other Warriors tallied at least two hits. Zanon, Reiten, Robinson and McDowell all scored twice with Robinson collecting three RBI.
LCSC improves to 4-0 on their 12-game road trip and look to sweep the final game of the series with Corban on Saturday with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. at Wilsonville High School. Live stats are available
here with live audio available at 950 AM KOZE and online at
www.koze-sports.com.