GLENDALE, Ariz. – The Warriors’ seventh game in as many days resulted in the first loss of the 2022 campaign. No. 4 LC State Baseball battled back-and-forth with Arizona Christian before falling in the bottom of the ninth by a final of 10-9. The Warriors head back to the LC Valley with a 6-1 record to start the season.
LC pitchers Drake Borschowa and Eric Chavarria combined for 11 strikeouts on the day, but clutch hits by ACU made the difference in the contest.
“Disappointing end to our trip,” Head Coach Jake Taylor said. “Too many defensive miscues and we couldn’t come up with enough consistent quality at bats with runners on base. We will head home tomorrow with a lot of work ahead of us.”
The Warriors wasted little time putting runs on the board. Riley Way made his way to second on an error and scored on a line drive up the middle off the bat of A.J. Davis. Sam Linscott reached on a fielder’s choice to put two on and Luke White dropped a ball in the middle of three defenders for an RBI-double. A sacrifice fly by Justin Mazzone plated the third run of the inning.
Drake Borschowa had the ball on the mound for LC in the first inning and closed the frame out with a strikeout to keep the Warriors in front 3-0. ACU manufactured a pair of runs in the second before another punchout by Borschowa ended the frame.
The second home run of the season for Nick Seamons pushed the LC lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth inning. Matt James kept the inning going with a single and took second on a sacrifice bunt by Pu’ukani De Sa. Davis singled through the left side to bring in James and make it a 5-2 Warrior advantage.
Luke White demolished a ball into the night for a solo shot to right center to widen the margin in the fifth.
The Firestorm bats came alive in the home half of the inning to tie things up 6-6. Eric Chavarria struck out the side in order in the bottom of the six to keep things tied.
LC State regained the lead in the top of the seventh. Linscott led off the inning with a single before stealing his third bag of the day. He took third on a wild pitch after a walk to White, then scored on a fielder’s choice to give Mazzone an RBI. Chavarria fanned two more to maintain the Warriors’ 7-6 lead through seven.
ACU knotted the score one again in the home half of the eighth to keep the back-and-forth battle going.
Nagle pushed the go-ahead runs across in the top of the ninth after free passes and a fielder’s choice put James, Way and Davis on base. The senior singled to left to knock in two and send the Warriors into the bottom of the ninth leading 9-7.
The Firestorm answered with four hits to plate three runs and take the game in walk-off fashion.
Davis led the Warriors with a 3-for-5 performance and two RBI. Nagle, White and Mazzone also knocked in two each and Linscott stole three bases.
Borschowa struck out five in his four innings. He gave up five runs, four earned, and walked four. Chavarria tallied six punchouts in 4.1 innings and also allowed five runs, with four being earned.
The Warriors return to Lewiston for the 2022 home opener on Sunday. LC will host NCAA DIII Whitman for a doubleheader beginning at noon. Single-game and season tickets, as well as streaming packages, are available at lcwarriors.com.
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