LEWISTON, Idaho – Unfortunately for the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team, the storybook ending to the season came two days too early.
 
Falling in a big hole, the Warriors battled but just didn't have enough at the end and came up short to Southeastern of Florida 9-6 at the Avista NAIA World Series at LCSC's Harris Field on Wednesday night.
 
The loss ended the Warriors' run at a fourth consecutive national title and left the club 40-13 overall. LCSC wound up tied for third in this year's event.
 
The loss also was the final game for Jeremiah Robbins as coach of the Warrior program. Earlier this season, Robbins announced his resignation to take over at the baseball team at Umpqua Community College and to be closer to family.
 
In his six years at the helm, Robbins led the Warriors to five straight national title game appearances, three national titles, two runner-up finishes and a third-place finish.
 
"I you really start thinking about it, it's phenomenal," Robbins said. "It's a tribute to these guys. We've had some phenomenal players come through, and this is a phenomenal team this year. I think people get a little bit carried away with the expectation of being in the national championship game every year, and for six years, we've been in the final four. That's pretty impressive, and that's a credit to this team and the guys that we're getting and my assistant coaches and the people that surround this program -- it's all a tribute to them. I'm honored to be a part of it."
 
The Warriors nearly made it another title game appearance after training 8-1 in the third inning. Behind the pitching of senior right-hander Rian Bassett and the bats finally coming to life, LCSC cut the margin to 8-6 in the eighth inning.
 
Southeastern, which will play Freed-Hardeman of Tennessee for the national title, scored a run in the top of the ninth to stretch the lead to 9-6. The Warriors loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth and had the game-winning run at the plate when the final out was made.
 
"We squandered some opportunities, but we competed the whole game," Robbins said. "I tip my hat to our guys. They're a good club; there's a reason why they're undefeated at this point. We gave it a fight. It is what it is."
 
The Warriors found themselves in trouble early when Southeastern scored three runs in the first, one in the second and four in the third for an 8-1 advantage. In the third, Southeastern scored two runs on a wild pitch after Bassett entered the game and also added another with the help of an error.
 
Bassett, however, shut the door on the Fire attack after the third inning. He retired the last 14 batters he faced and allowed only two hits in his six innings of work in his impressive outing.
 
"The biggest thing was just fighting for my brother next to me and just competing," Bassett said. "That's what it comes down to at the end of the day. I had to grind every at bat and every pitch to give my team a chance to win.
 
Bassett's outstanding performance allowed the Warriors to chip away at the lead.
 
"That was an impressive effort by him," Robbins said.
 
LC scored two in the fourth when Darren Trainor doubled and Matt Thompson followed with a home run to right-center field to make it 8-3.
 
The Warriors then made things interesting with three runs in the eighth to make it 8-6. Joey Parente, Kasey Bailey, and Cory Voss all singled to start the inning, the latter to produce a run. With two outs, Thompson hit a ground ball that Southeastern shortstop Adam De La Cruz fielded but threw wildly to first. His throwing error allowed two runs to score.
 
LCSC closer Gage Burland came on in the ninth and gave up a run to make it 9-6.
 
After two outs in the ninth, Parente, Bailey and Voss all singled again to load the bases, but a strike out ended the contest.
 
"We gave them too much early." Robbins said. "And obviously, their starting guy, he was as advertised. He was a heck of a pitcher.
 
Robbins was referring to Jonathan Bermudez, who improved to 15-2 on the season. Bermudez allowed seven hit and three earned runs in 7.1 innings. He also struck out 12 and walked one.
 
Thompson finished with two RBI for LCSC, while Parente, Bailey and Voss had two hits apiece. LCSC out-hit Southeastern 10-9, but two errors led to two unearned runs for Southeastern.
 
"It's definitely tough for us, especially when it's only a few plays that make that game," Bassett said of the season-ending loss. "It's just a tough situation for us because we want to come in here and win this thing."