ATHERTON, Calif. – The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team trailed early in both games of a doubleheader with Menlo College on Wednesday afternoon and overcame a three run deficit to win game one, 6-4, but the comeback bid fell short in a 5-4 loss in game two at Menlo Park.
With the split the second-ranked Warriors move to 25-5 on the season while the Oaks, who received votes in the NAIA Coaches' Poll, go to 26-11.
Jacob Zanon (JR/Beaverton, Ore.) got the day off to a good start with a leadoff home run, the first for LC since Mar. 21, 2014 when Jake Shirley tallied an inside-the-park home run also at Menlo. The Warriors threatened for more as Julian Ramon (SR/Oxnard, Calif.) and Robert Smith, Jr. (SR/Fremont, Calif.) were hit by pitches, but were stranded at second and third.
Home runs were the story in the contest as Garrett Gemgnani registered a two-run home run in the bottom of the first to put the Oaks up 2-1.
Both pitchers settled in until the fourth when Menlo touched up Warriors starter Kevin Hamann (JR/Bend, Ore.) for two more runs on three hits with the damage coming on a two-run triple by Reed Kienle.
Peter Irvin (SR/Redmond, Wash.) relieved Hamann in the fifth and shut down the Oaks offense to move to 1-1. Anthony Balderas (JR/Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.) registered a hold and Noel Gonzalez (JR/Naches, Wash.) posted his team-leading fifth save as the trio allowed just five hits over the final five innings.
With Menlo held in check, the LC offense scored three runs in the fifth, one in the seventh and another in the ninth for the game one win.
A pair of home runs accounted for the LC State offense in the fifth as Logan Griffin (JR/Apple Valley, Calif.) led off the inning with a solo shot and Smith, Jr. delivered a two-run homer to left field to knot the game at 4.
Dylan Tashjian (SR/Palm Springs, Calif.) scored the go-ahead in the seventh, leading off with a double before advancing to third on a wild pitch and scoring on a Ramon sacrifice fly.
In the ninth, Zanon pinch ran for Tashjian, who was hit by pitch to lead off the inning and, with two outs, stole second and scored on the wild throw by the catcher for the final margin.
The Oaks outhit the Warriors 12-8 and both teams stranded eight runners, but LC got the big hits they needed.
Zanon powered the offense with a 2-for-4 day scoring three times and driving in one while Smith, Jr. finished 1-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Hayden Meier (JR/Sammamish, Wash.) also collected two hits for LC.
In game two LC right-hander Jake Barnett (JR/San Diego, Calif.) ran into trouble early, allowing five runs, one earned, on three hits in the second inning, ending his day. Gemgnani started the inning with a solo home run and then an error and a walk put two on with two outs. Back-to-back singles scored three runs and then a pair of walks plated another for the 5-0 lead.
Senior Gunnar Swanson (SR/Duvall, Wash.) came on in relief and was stellar allowing just three hits with seven strikeouts over five innings to give the Warriors a chance to come back.
LC got a pair of runs in the fourth and sixth innings, but ultimately couldn't get the big blast they needed, stranding eight runners in the loss.
After going 0-for-6 to start the day, J.J. Robinson (JR/Colfax, Wash.) came through in a big way with his team-leading eighth home run of the season, a two run shot, scoring Smith, Jr. to cut the lead to three, 5-2.
LC State looked poised to add more in the fifth as Griffin singled and Zanon followed with a hard hit ball to right field which bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, preventing a run from scoring as the pair were stranded to end the threat.
It proved an unfortunate bounce as LCSC cut the deficit to one, 5-4, with three consecutive hits in the fifth. Robinson recorded a one out single and scored on a Tyler McDowell (SO/Puyallup, Wash.) double. Micah Brown (SO/Medord, Ore.) followed with a double of his own to plate McDowell and make it a one-run game. A pair of strikeouts ended the rally and the last real threat for the Warriors.
Robinson was the lone Warrior with multiple hits, finishing 2-for3 with two RBI and two runs scored while six other Warriors tallied a hit in the contest.
The Warriors are now 5-3 on their season-long 14-game road trip that continues tomorrow, Mar. 31 in Sacramento, Calif. against William Jessup University at American River College. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. with live audio available at 950 AM KOZE or online at www.koze-sports.com.