Oregon Tech Swept by No. 2 Lewis-Clark State, 17-2 and 7-6

4/2/2016 7:43:17 PM

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – A 10-run third inning broke open a 2-1 game in the opener, while an Oregon Tech comeback bid in game 2 fell short, as Lewis-Clark State College earned a sweep, 17-2 and 7-6, over the Owls in NAIA West baseball action today at Kiger Stadium.
 
Oregon Tech falls to 11-26 on the year and sit at 2-16 in NAIA West play.  L-C State improved to 28-5 overall and 14-3 in the league standings.
 
Game 1-
 
LCSC opened the series with a pair of runs with the Owls closing the gap to 2-1 with a run in the bottom of the second inning on a Kai Fong RBI double.
 
The Warriors opened it up in their next at-bat, scoring 10 runs on the way to a 12-1 lead.  J.J. Robinson and Cabe Reiten highlighted the inning with three RBI each.  Robinson singled in two and doubled in another run, while Reiter connected on a double to clear the bases.
 
Tech’s Ryan Grant drove in the last run on a single in the bottom half of the third inning to make it 12-2.
 
LCSC closed with five unanswered runs to win 17-2, via the 10-run rule, fueled by a two-run homerun by Logan Griffin, leading to a three-run fourth inning, followed by a Griffin double scoring both runs in the fifth.
 
Robinson tallied five RBI, with Reiten and Griffin driving in four runs each.  Robinson, Hayden Meirer and Griffin recorded three hits each in the win.  Connor Brogdon picked up his third win allowing four hits in 6.0 innings. 
 
Fong finished with two hits, including a double and RBI, with Danny Topps and Ryan Grant adding a single.  Grant had the Owls’ other RBI, while Tyler Bennett took the loss for Tech.
 
Game 2 –
 
The Warriors opened up the nightcap with a pair of runs and held the lead throughout. 
 
Tech notched single runs in the third and sixth innings, trailing 5-2.  Danny Topps doubled to drive in the home team’s first run, and led off the sixth with a triple and later scoring on a Fong RBI.  The Owls closed to 5-4 with two more in the seventh.  Matthew Moorehead homered to left with Colton Hinrickson, in a pinch hit role, driving in a run on his double.
 
LCSC, however, notched a pair in their at-bat in the eighth inning on a Jacob Zanon single plating two to go up 7-4.
 
Tech answered with two of their own in the bottom half on a couple Warrior miscues to make it 7-6.  The game would end by the same score after Tech failed to get a runner in scoring position in the last inning.
 
Topps had a pair of extra base hits with Fong finishing the game with four hits, including a double.  Topps, Fong, Moorehead and Hinrickson drove in a run each.  Adam Kandra suffered the loss going six inning and allowing six hits and four earned runs.
 
Zanon, Robinson and Gunnar Buhner finished with two hits and two RBI each in the win for LCSC. Buhner added a two-run homerun with doubles by Zanon and Robinson aiding in the win.  Quin Grogan moved to 2-1 on the season with Noel Gonzalez collecting his sixth save of the year.
 
Oregon Tech and LCSC close out the four-game NAIA West series Sunday in a doubleheader at Kiger Stadium beginning at 11 a.m.