NAMPA, Idaho. – The Lewis-Clark State College baseball team celebrated the first day of Spring on Monday by taking a walk.
 
Check that. It took a several walks. Seventeen to be exact.
 
Taking advantage of 17 walks issued by four Northwest Nazarene University pitchers, the Warriors claimed an 18-10 non-league victory at NNU's Elmore Vail Field.
 
The 17 walks tied the program record for most walks LCSC received in a game. The first time it happened was 1987 against Western Oregon when LCSC claimed a 21-5 win.
 
The key inning on Monday was the seventh when LCSC scored eight runs to break a 10-10 tie. LCSC only needed three hits in the inning as six walks and two hit batters did most of the damage. Two walks came with the bases loaded as did both hit batters.
 
The contest also marked the first time two Warrior batters drew four walks apiece in a game. Raymond Pedrina and Logan Griffin each drew four walks and were hit once in their seven at bats.
 
LCSC batted around in the first and seventh innings and collected 11 hits in the contest, including five for extra bases. J.J. Robinson and Evan Douglas both launched three-run home runs.
 
The offensive show helped LCSC to its fourth win and five games and improved the Warriors 14-8 on the season, while Northwest Nazarene, an NCAA Division II team, fell to 10-11. LCSC is now 60-4-1 all-time against NNU and has won 58 of the last 59 meetings, including the last eight.
 
"I think we are starting to come around," said Robinson, who drove in four runs and scored three times. "Our hitters came through today and our pitchers ended up battling. We are starting to come together as a team and figuring out who we are. We are getting some leadership involved and it's really helping us."
 
The Warriors appeared they would roll early when they put up five runs in the top of the first. Seaver Whalen extended his hit streak to 12 games with a two-run double to start the scoring. Gunnar Buhner added an RBI double while Cooper Goldby finished it with a two-run single. The Warriors sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning.
 
Despite the 5-0 lead, LCSC starter Rian Bassett allowed five of the first six batters he faced to reach base, which helped the Crusaders score fourth times in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to 5-4.
 
The Crusaders put up four more in the third to take an 8-5 lead, but Robinson tied it with his blast in the fourth. The ball was hit so well that the NNU center fielder took only one step back before just he stopped and just watched the ball easily sail over the fence.
 
"All day I felt pretty good," Robinson said. "I was underneath everything but I was right on it (the ball) and on that pitch I was able to get ahold of it pretty well."
 
The Warriors regained the lead in the top of the sixth with two runs. Robinson walked and eventually scored on a single by Douglas, while an error allowed Douglas to score and make it 10-8.
 
The Crusaders managed to tie the game in the bottom of the inning when LCSC reliever Dalton Blackwell, making his second appearance of the season, ran out of steam and issued back-to-back solo home runs.  David Wilson then came in and held NNU hitless over the next 2.2 innings to earn the win. He did issue three walks and struck out one. Anthony Balderus pitched the ninth to finish off NNU.
 
In the meantime, the Warriors put up an eight-spot in the seventh inning as they sent 14 batters to the plate. Consecutive walks to Pedrina, Griffin and Whalen loaded the bases and Robinson was hit by a pitch to force in the go-ahead run. Micah Brown singled in two and Douglas followed with a three-run home run, his team-leading fifth HR of the season. Later with the bases loaded, Griffin was hit by a pitch and Whalen drew his second walk of the inning, both of which forced in runs.
 
Douglas went 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Whalen was 1-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored, while Griffin was 1-for-3 with three runs scored. Brown drove in a pair of runs and scored twice, while Goldby had two hits and two RBI.
 
The Warriors will wrap up the road trip Tuesday when the two teams meet again at 11 a.m., PDT at Elmore Vail Field.  LCSC will then play host to Corban in NAIA Far West doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.