Grogan’s shutout caps Warriors' sweep of Coyotes
Zachary Shore, LCSC
LEWISTON, Idaho – Quin Gorgan was masterful on the Harris Field mound for the second time in as many starts and Tyler McDowell (SO/Puyallup, Wash.) provided plenty of offense as the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team swept their NAIA West doubleheader against College of Idaho, 11-1 and 10-0.
In his last two home starts, Grogan is 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA, allowing just three hits and four walks with 16 strikeouts in 14 innings pitched, facing just four batters over the minimum of 42.
"Comfortability throwing off of our home mound and not wanting to lose at home," stated Grogan on his success at Harris Field. "Today it was just the fastball command."
McDowell did plenty to back up the Warriors strong efforts on the mound, finishing 3-for-6 with five runs and four RBI in the two games including his third home run of the season.
"It feels great to contribute like that," said McDowell on his big day. "Coach (Jeremiah Robbins) and I have been working on different stances and everything and we just shortened my stance a couple days ago and I was hitting pretty well in BP and practice. We came out, had an approach and got after it."
With the game one win, the Warriors earned their 100th win over College of Idaho at Harris Field and now lead the all-time series 165-48-1. LC improves to 33-5 on the season and 19-3 in NAIA West play with the Yotes falling to 27-13 and 15-8, respectively.
College of Idaho jumped out to an early lead on a two-out solo home run from Cole Mansanarez in the first inning of game one, but that's all the offense the Yotes could muster.
LCSC had plenty of offense on a beautiful afternoon in Lewiston and evened the score in the second. Back-to-back walks to J.J. Robinson (JR/Colfax, Wash.) and Julian Ramon (SR/Oxnard, Calif.) started the frame and McDowell laced a double to right center to plate Robinson. Chase Hafer (SR/Meridian, Idaho), running for Ramon, tried to score from first, but was thrown out at the plate.
Henry McAree (JR/Shoreline, Wash.) was called on in relief in the second and was nearly perfect, allowing just two hits and a walk while striking out four in five innings.
He got some help from his defense in the third as Hunter Hanson singled to left and tried to stretch it to a double, but Micah Brown (SO/Medord, Ore.), Cabe Reiten (SR/Spanaway, Wash.) and Gunnar Buhner (JR/Issaquah, Wash.) executed a perfect relay for the first out. A walk put another man on, but a strikeout, batter interference double play ended the threat and McAree settled in, allowing just two baserunners the rest of the game.
The offense got to work in the second, scoring five runs on three hits and two costly Yotes errors to break the game open. The rally started with two outs as Robert Smith Jr. (SR/Fremont, Calif.) was hit by a pitch, moved up 90-feet on a wild pitch and scored on a dropped fly by the second basemen. A Robinson double scored Jacob Zanon (JR/Beaverton, Ore.) with an error sending Robinson to third. A wild pitch plated Robinson and McDowell followed a Ramon walk with a two-run homer to right field for a 5-1 lead.
Robinson provided the fireworks in the fifth with a solo shot to right and LC State hung another crooked number in the sixth.
A Logan Griffin (JR/Apple Valley, Calif.) single, Cabe Reiten hit by pitch and Smith Jr. sacrifice fly plated the first run and Zanon belted LC's third home run of the game over the left field fence for a 10-1 lead.
The game ended on the 10-run rule in the seventh as Dylan Tashjian (SR/Palm Springs, Calif.) followed a pair of walks with a single through the right side, scoring McDowell for the 11-1 win.
McDowell and Robinson each finished 2-for-3 as LCSC tallied eight hits. Robinson also scored three times and drove in two while McDowell scored twice and collected three RBI.
Game two was the Grogan show as the senior right-hander allowed just two runners to reach second base and the Yotes had just three hits, two in the first and one in the seventh
After striking out the first batter, Grogan allowed a pair of singles, but induced an inning ending 6-4-3 double play.
The LC offense picked up where it left off in game one, sending 12 men to the plate while scoring seven runs on three hits and two errors in the opening frame. Smith Jr. walked, Zanon reached on an error and three consecutive walks to Robinson, McDowell and Brown made it 2-0. Buhner doubled home a pair and Griffin plated Brown with a ground out. Copper Goldby followed with a double to score Buhner and, after a pitching change, Reiten reached on an error, allowing Hafer, who ran for Goldby, to score the seventh tally.
McDowell was in the middle of more scoring in the fourth as he reached on an error and scored on Brown's home run to left, the fourth of the day for LC.
The final run came in the sixth as Brown singled with two outs, Buhner was hit by a pitch and Griffin singled to score Brown.
The Warriors collected seven hits in the contest, were hit twice and drew six walks. Brown finished the game 2-for-2 with two walks, three runs scored and three RBI while McDowell went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and one RBI.
Lewis-Clark State wraps up the regular season series with the Coyotes on Sunday, Apr. 10 with first pitch, sponsored by Inland Cellular, scheduled for 12 p.m.
For those that can't make the game, live stats, audio and video are available here.