April 3, 2022

Win streak ends for LCSC, but it starts new one

No. 3 Warriors fall in Game 1 at Corban to snap 28-game run

Lewis-Clark State first baseman Luke White, right, is congratulated during the second game of a March 26 Cascade Conference doubleheader against British Columbia at Harris Field. White, a former Lewiston standout, extended his hitting streak to 14 games, and he had two hits and four RBI in Saturday’s Game 2 at Corban, a 15-3 LCSC victory.Austin Johnson/Tribune

PORTLAND, Ore. — The law of averages eventually was going to catch up to the Lewis-Clark State baseball team. With that, the Warriors were going to lose a game at some point again. Saturday was that day.

It took a complete-game effort by Corban right-hander Zack Simon to do it, but it was enough as it beat third-ranked LCSC 3-2 in the first game of a Cascade Conference doubleheader at the University of Portland’s Joe Etzel Field.

Maybe the local Warriors (35-2, 6-1) had too long to think about things. Because of unknown issues at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer, Ore., the home field of Corban, the series was moved. However, it was too late by the time LCSC found out to cancel its previous hotel reservations, so the team still stayed in Salem, Ore., about an hour away from Etzel Field.

Whatever the case, the team’s 28-game winning streak came to an end one day after LCSC set the standard. It ended a stretch of 58 days without a loss. The last time LCSC lost was a 10-9 decision Feb. 3 at Arizona Christian.

However, the locals got back on track in the nightcap as LCSC emerged with a 15-3 victory buoyed by four runs on no hits in the fourth as well as six two-out runs in the sixth after Corban had a 3-1 lead through three innings.

“Nice to rebound in Game 2 after we dropped the opener,” coach Jake Taylor said. “Really proud of our team for the winning streak. Now, it’s time to turn the page and finish the road trip on a positive note tomorrow.”

The Clay brothers led the way offensively for Corban in the opener. Kyle Clay went 2-for-4 with a triple, and younger brother Ryan also went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

After hitting a pair of home runs in Friday’s 4-0 victory, senior outfielder Aidan Nagle hit his third long ball of the series to lead LCSC.

Simon (4-1), while not as dominant as junior right-hander Trent Sellers was Friday in the LCSC win, almost was as effective. He retired nine of the final 10 batters he faced. Simon scattered six hits and a walk, allowing two runs, one earned. He struck out eight as he became the first pitcher since Oregon Tech’s John Schultz on April 27, 2019, to beat LCSC in a complete-game effort.

Junior right-hander Greg Blackman (4-1) was saddled with the loss. In two innings of relief, he allowed three hits, two walks and two runs, both earned. He struck out two.

Corban tallied a run in the first on a pair of singles and a sacrifice fly by Estenio Sede.

LCSC got that run back in the top of the sixth, thanks to Nagle’s eighth homer of the year. However, Corban countered in its half to take a 2-1 lead. Kyle Clay’s infield single with two outs scored Ryan Clay from second base.

LCSC tied it at 2 in the seventh as senior Matt James got aboard on an error and senior shortstop Riley Way singled him home with two outs.

But Corban produced the game-winner in the bottom half of the inning and Kairos Torres-Umi was hit by a pitch to lead off. Brian Landon singled him to third. Blackman was able to get a strikeout, but Keenan O’Brien’s safety squeeze scored pinch-runner Nick Pope.

In the second game, senior Zach Threlfall, who had been out because of injury recently, went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Way and senior Luke White each went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and four RBI. Way, a former Lewiston standout, also stands alone in fourth place all-time in program history wtih 248 hits after hitting a pair of doubles. White, who has a 14-game hitting streak, also doubled. Senior catcher Justin Mazzone doubled twice and drove in a run.

Kyle Clay went 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run scored and an RBI to lead the Corban offense.

Senior right-hander Eric Chavarria (5-1) picked up the win. He allowed four hits, one walk and three runs, two earned in the first five innings. Chavarria struck out six. Sophomore right-hander Trevin Hope allowed just three hits and struck out seven in the final four innings to earn his first save.

James Arend (1-1) absorbed the loss, allowing two hits, four walks and four runs, three earned, in 3 innings. He struck out two.

LCSC took advantage of 13 hits, 11 walks and two hit batsmen in the nightcap.

Down by two after three, LCSC took advantage of five walks and the two hit batsmen to tally four runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 advantage.

In the fifth, Mazzone led off with a double and scored on junior infielder Pu’ukani De Sa’s sacrifice fly.

After LCSC’s first two hitters were retired in the sixth, the offense exploded. White singled home a run, then three batters later senior Matt James plated a pair on a single. Two batters after, Way unleashed a double down the left-field line that unloaded the bases to make it 12-3.

LCSC tallied three more in the ninth, two on a one-out double by White and another on a groundout by Mazzone.

The two teams will wrap up the series at 11 a.m. today.

GAME 1

LEWIS-CLARK STATE CORBAN

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Way ss 4 0 1 1 Jeffrey 1b 4 1 1 0

Davis 2b 4 0 1 0 R. Clay 3b 4 1 2 0

Nagle rf 4 1 1 1 Sede ss 2 0 1 1

Linscott cf 4 0 0 0 K. Clay lf 4 0 2 0

White 1b 4 0 1 0 Thompson 2b 4 0 0 0

Mazzone dh 3 0 0 0 Torres-Umi dh 2 0 0 0

James lf 4 1 1 0 Pope dh 0 1 0 0