Baseball | 06.02.2017

Box Score LEWISTON, Idaho – J.J. Robinson's run-scoring triple in the seventh inning broke a tie and a committee pitching staff led by unlikely hero Daulton Blackwell helped the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team capture its third straight Avista NAIA World Series title with a 6-4 win over Faulkner University of Alabama at LCSC's Harris Field in Ed Cheff Stadium on Friday night.
 
The win gave the Warriors their 19^th national baseball title, which is 15 more than any other NAIA program has won. It also marked the second straight year LCSC has defeated Faulkner for the title.
 
"This one is a lot different," said LCSC coach Jeremiah Robbins, who has led the Warriors to championship game appearances in each of his five years at the helm. "This was a different year as far as how our season went. We never got into a rhythm. We were getting rained out left and right. It was just a weird season all the way around. We came in here with, I think, the least amount of wins of any team and then we are the last team standing."
 
The Warriors, who came into the Series as the No. 5 seed, finish the year 40-14. Faulkner, the No. 2 seed, winds up 54-12.
 
LCSC went about this title game a little different. The Warriors had relied on three starters and a couple of key relievers to make it this far, but nearly all of those arms needed rest.
 
Enter starter Tyler Burch, who had only pitched 10 innings since March 10, Rian Bassett, who had pitched 17 innings since March 12, and Daulton Blackwell, who had thrown 12.1 innings overall this season.
Burch went the first three innings and allowed three runs on five hits. Bassett pitched the fourth and allowed one run on one hit, and Blackwell was the surprise with three innings of one-hit ball and two strikeouts. The seven innings allowed No. 3 starter Matt Fish to pitch 1.1 innings and set up closer Anthony Balderus for the final two outs.
 
"We basically used every arm that hadn't throw in the tournament except at the end and that was our safety net," Robbins said. "We talked about it in the clubhouse before that pitching and defense would win this game. They did that throughout that was the key."
 
Blackwell, a senior from Fruitland, Idaho, picked up the win to improve to 2-0. His performance was aided by the fact his brother, Kyle Blackwell, is the Warriors' pitching coach.
 
"With them as human beings and the commitment they have to the program and preparing, whether they are getting innings are not, they are always working and grinding through it," Robbins said. "And obviously our pitching coach Kyle Blackwell preparing those guys on a daily basis. I tell you he's a young coach but he's going to be a phenomenal coach in the future. I'm so proud to have him on staff."
 
Robbins said the Warriors didn't really have a set number of innings or pitches for any member of the staff. Rather the goal was to keep Faulkner off balanced.
 
"They are a big rhythm and timing hitting team so we knew we had to keep their rhythm and timing off," Robbins said of the pitching changes. "We tried to do a little big of smoke and mirrors, but Daulton was on so we kept going with him."
 
Burch did get off to a bit of a rough start when he gave up a single to Tra'mayne Holmes and John Price Jr. followed with a two-run home run.
 
The Warriors did some damage in the bottom of the inning and scored three times for a 3-2. Raymond Pedrina was hit by a pitch and Micah Brown followed with a two-run home run. Robinson then doubled and scored on Brock Ephan's single to left.
 
After L.D. Conley's RBI single tied the game in the top of the second, the pitcher's took over.  Faulkner did take a 4-3 lead with its last run in the top of the fourth on a walk, a single, and a fielder's choice grounder, but LCSC tied it in the sixth. Gunnar Buhner singled, went to second on a wild pitch, third on a balk, and scored on a wild pitch.
 
The Warriors, who had only scored two runs in the Series from the seventh inning on coming into the contest, then matched that number with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Brown started the rally with a double and following a pop out, Robinson hit his first triple of the season to drive in Brown. Robinson, who was named the Series' MVP, then scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-4.
 
Faulkner then left a runner stranded at first in the eighth and had two one-out singles in the ninth, but pinch-hitter Deivy Palmeiro grounded into a double play to end the game and give LCSC its third title in a row.
 
"I'm happy for our players," Robbins said. "They put a lot of time and effort into it. These titles aren't for me, they are for the players. This is their reward."
 
"Indescribable," Robinson said of the title. "It's great to go out on top. I love these guys (teammates). This is a great team. I wouldn't want to play with anyone else.
 
"It means everything. We work so hard in practice and in every game. The battle to get here was awesome and hard, and to win it was just the cake on top."
Brown, Robinson and Buhner finished with two hits apiece as LCSC finished with eight hits in the game.
 
"We got some key hits when we needed them," Robbins said. "We didn't exactly tear the cover off the ball, but we got the key hits when we needed them."
 
Along with Robinson, LCSC had four other players honored. Pedrina won the Charles Berry Hustle Award, while shortstop Seaver Whalen, outfielder Logan Griffin, pitcher Connor Brogdon, joined Robinson on the All-World Series Team.
 
TOURNAMENT AWARDS
Charles Berry Hustle Award – Raymond Pedrina, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
Gold Glove Award – John Price Jr., Faulkner (Ala.)
Most Valuable Player – J.J. Robinson, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) or John Price Jr., Faulkner (Ala.)
2017 Avista-NAIA Baseball All-World Series Team
1B – James Land, William Carey (Miss.)
2B – Ryan Rosa, Faulkner (Ala.)
3B – Tra'mayne Holmes, Faulkner (Ala.)
SS – Seaver Whalen, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
INF – Jerame Littell, Oklahoma City
C – Tyler Graves, William Carey (Miss.)
C – Paolo Montezuma, Faulkner (Ala.)
OF – Jared Baker, Oklahoma City
OF – Tyler Odom, William Carey (Miss.)
OF – John Price Jr., Faulkner (Ala.)
OF – Logan Griffin, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
DH – J.J. Robinson, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
P – Ivan Pelaez, Faulkner (Ala.)
P – Connor Brogdon, Lewis-Clark State (Idaho)
P – Jose Hildago, Science & Arts (Okla.)
P – Matt Young, Oklahoma City