Warriors avoid history, split with Thunderbirds
Zachary Shore, LCSC
LEWISTON, Idaho – Thanks to strong performances from right-hander
Connor Brogdon (JR/Madera Ranchos, Calif.) and new leadoff man
Logan Griffin (JR/Apple Valley, Calif.), the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team avoided its first three-game home losing streak since 1977, earning a hard fought split with The University of British Columbia.
It was a tale of two games for the second-ranked Warriors as LC struggled in game one, tallying nine hits but leaving eight runners on base while committing two errors and walking six in the 8-4 loss. In game two, the home team collected six hits and scored five times while playing flawless defense and striking out 12 with no walks in a 5-1 win.
Griffin led off for the first time this season and was a table setter all afternoon, finishing 5-for-9 with two runs and four RBI.
"I got told this morning I was leading off and it's where I've been my whole life, so I was comfortable there," said Griffin. "It doesn't really matter where you are in the lineup, 1-9 you have to stick with your approach and drive the ball somewhere."
Brogdon moved to 4-0 as he allowed just one run on five hits over 6.1 innings with nine strikeouts.
"There wasn't any added pressure, I just wanted to go out there and give my team the best shot to get a win and have a chance to split tomorrow," said Brogdon on pitching after a pair of losses. "I felt good about everything and Coach [Kyle] Blackwell called a good game and made it really easy today."
In game one,
Quin Grogan (SR/Stanfield, Ore.) got the call and saw his Harris Field magic come to an end in a no decision as he allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks.
The Thunderbirds got on the board first in the second as Anthony Cusati led off with a single and scored two batters later on a two-out RBI single by John Whaley.
Momentum seemed to turn in the third as the Warriors got a rally going.
Micah Brown (SO/Medord, Ore.) singled to start the inning and a Copper Goldby walk put two on and one out for Griffin who hammered the first pitch he saw over the right field fence for a 3-run home run and the 3-1 lead. LC had a chance for more as
Jacob Zanon (JR/Beaverton, Ore.) singled and a pair of walks loaded the basses but a strikeout ended the inning.
British Columbia tied the game in the fifth with three singles, a sacrifice bunt and an LC error plating a pair of runs, ending Grogan's day.
Matt Fish came on in relief and a pair of walks followed by a pinch hit home run by Lichel Hirakawa-Kao put the visitors back in front, 6-3. UBC added single runs in the seventh and ninth for an 8-3 lead, but LCSC wasn't done.
Andris Rizquez (SR/Caracas, Venezuela) started a two-out rally with a single to left and scored on a Griffin single to right.
Robert Smith Jr. (SR/Fremont, Calif.) followed with another single, but a popup ended the game.
Griffin was the lone Warrior with more than one hit, finishing 3-for-5 with a run scored and four RBI.
Fish (3-1) took the loss after allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits over four innings while Connor Noble (7-4) got the win allowing four runs on eight hits in 8.2 innings with three walks and five strikeouts.
Brodgon allowed a single to the second man he faced but then sat down the next 11 batters and the offense came to life.
The Warriors put up two runs in the fourth with one swing. Zanon was hit by a pitch and
Julian Ramon (SR/Oxnard, Calif.) singled with one out. After
Tyler McDowell (SO/Puyallup, Wash.) advanced the runners;
Hayden Meier (JR/Sammamish, Wash.) drove a 3-1 pitch to right center, scoring Zanon and Rizquez for the 2-0 lead.
A hit by pitch started another rally in the fifth as
Chase Hafer (SR/Meridian, Idaho) reached and Griffin followed with a single. Smith Jr. sacrificed the runners over and Zanon induced a UBC throwing error, scoring Hafer and Griffin while reaching third on the play. His speed allowed him to score on
J.J. Robinson (JR/Colfax, Wash.)'s groundout for a 5-0 lead.
It seemed to be enough for Brogdon until the seventh as the righty allowed three singles and a run before handing the ball to
Henry McAree (JR/Shoreline, Wash.) who earned his first save. The junior escaped the jam and allowed just one hit, a one-out single in the eighth, to preserve the victory.
Griffin again was the lone Warrior with multiple hits, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Zanon scored twice and Meier drove in a pair.
The split moves the Warriors to 35-7 in 2016 and 21-5 in NAIA West competition with UBC going to 31-15 overall and 17-9 in the conference.
The Warriors will look to earn a split of the four-game conference series in the finale on Sunday, Apr. 17 with first pitch schedule for 12 p.m. and sponsored by Happy Day.
For those that can't make the game, live coverage is available with stats at
live.lcwarriors.com, audio at
koze-sports.com and live video
here.