ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Multiple big innings helped the No. 3 Warriors to a pair of victories over NCAA Division II Central Washington on Thursday. Trent Sellers earned his NAIA-leading seventh victory of the season in the opening game, and a big eight-run first inning propelled LC to a win in the nightcap. Big days at the plate for Riley Way and Aidan Nagle helped the Warriors stretch the winning streak to 23 straight with an overall record of 29-1.
“We played well today,” Head Coach Jake Taylor said. “We came out aggressive in both games offensively and maintained focus throughout both games.”
GAME ONE: LC State def. Central Washington 11-1
Zach Threlfall put LC State up early with a two-run blast in the first after Riley Way walked in the first plate appearance of the game. Aidan Nagle wore a pitch and took second on a wild pitch, then scored on a single by Luke White. LC led 3-0 after the first half inning.
Sellers struck out three through the first two innings.
The Warriors grew their advantage in the third, starting with a leadoff single by Sam Linscott. A groundout moved him to second before an RBI-double by Matt James plated the fourth run.
Way widened the gap in the fourth with a double to knock in Coy Stout. Threlfall reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a double into the right field corner by Nagle, and White homered to left to bring the lead to 8-0.
CWU tallied its first hits in the home half of the fourth. A pair of hits cut into the lead with a run, but two more strikeouts by Sellers in the fifth kept the Wildcats from adding one.
Linscott tripled to open the top of the seventh inning and crossed home with a double to left center by White. James doubled to plate White and make it 10-1 after six and a half innings.
Nagle walked and Linscott doubled to put two in scoring position in the eighth, and a groundout by White made it 11-1.
The LC bullpen closed out the game without allowing a run.
Sellers struck out seven in his five innings to earn his seventh win of the season. He gave up just three hits in his outing. Lucas Gregory, Eli Shubert, Harrison Grow and Bryson Spagnuolo each tossed an inning in relief and each struck out at least one.
Linscott and White each tallied three hits in the contest, and White drive in five runs. Nine of the Warriors’ 12 hits went for extra bases with six doubles, a triple and two home runs.
GAME TWO: LC State def. Central Washington 18-5 (7 innings)
Game two started with a big eight-run inning for the Warriors. Way and Threlfall both reached on free passes before Nagle crushed a three-run bomb to give LC the early lead. Linscott walked and took second on wild pitch, and back-to-back singles by White and James made it 4-0.
An error by CWU loaded the bases before Way became the first Warrior shortstop since 2015 to hit two grand slams in a career. The four-run blast by the senior gave LC an 8-0 advantage after half an inning.
The Wildcats struck for two in the home half of the inning, but Greg Blackman held CWU scoreless in the second and third.
LC plated another in the top of the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Nagle and Linscott.
Dawson Day took over for Blackman in the bottom of the inning and fanned two in the frame.
Mazzone drew a leadoff walk to start the fifth before moving to second on a single by A.J. Davis. A walk to Dominic Signorelli loaded the bases before Way cleared them with a double down the left field line. Threlfall followed with a double of his own to score Way, and a two-run shot by Nagle made it 15-2.
Central Washington struck for a run in the home half of the fifth, but a pair of strikeouts by Drake Borschowa limited the damage.
After batting around in the fifth, Mazzone led off the sixth with another walk before taking second on a walk. An error put Davis on first and a wild pitch moved both into scoring position. Signorelli walked to load the bases once again for Way who was hit by a pitch to bring in his eighth RBI of the game. Nagle drove his seventh run of the game to give the Warriors a commanding 18-3 lead.
The Wildcats put up two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Eric Chavarria retired CWU in order in the seventh to close things out.
Nagle led LC in the game with four hits to go with seven RBI. Way knocked in the most runs by a Warrior (8) since 2011 on his two hits. The duo knocked in all but three of the Warriors’ runs in the game. Signorelli walked four times.
Eight of LC’s 13 hits went for extra bases, including two home runs and a double by Nagle.
The Warriors had five pitchers throw in the contest. Blackman threw three frames, while Day, Borschowa, Cameron Smith and Chavarria each had one. Day and Borschowa each struck out two.
LC State returns to Lewiston to open Cascade Conference play on March 25. The four-game series is scheduled for one game on March 25, a doubleheader on March 26, and a single game on March 27.
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