LEWISTON, Idaho – The offensive prowess was evident in both games of the opening doubleheader of the 2019 season. The No. 5 Lewis-Clark State baseball team totaled 25 runs between the two games, outscoring the NCAA DII Concordia Cavaliers 25-10. Though they fell 11-8 in game one, they bounced back well to overpower the Cavaliers 17-1 in game two and hold a 1-1 record after the first day of the new season.
 
"It wasn't our best day," head coach Jake Taylor said. "We didn't come with our best effort. We definitely have a long road in front of us to get better."
 
GAME ONE: Concordia defeats LCSC 11-8
 
Game one was a back-and-forth battle that ultimately ended in favor of the Cavaliers. Concordia started hot with a quick three runs, and they controlled the tempo until LC fought back to take the lead in the sixth. Concordia struck for five runs in the eighth and ninth to win 11-8.
 
The top of the first got off to a rocky start for the Warriors as Lalo Porras struggled to find his command and walked the first three batters to load the bases. A sacrifice fly, base hit and error brought in all three to give Concordia the early lead.
 
Kyle Callahan sent a two-out base hit into right, but that is all LC could muster in the home half of the first.
 
Darren Trainor drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the second before Kody Garvin singled to put two on. Thomas Lampkin beat the throw on a bunt single to load the bases, but the Cavaliers shut down the Warriors to keep them off the board.
 
Kade Woods took over in relief in the top of the fourth and gave up a leadoff double. A fly out moved the runner to third before a single put Concordia ahead 4-0.
 
Riley Way sparked the offense for LC in the bottom of the fourth with a solo home run to left. A.J. Davis took a pitch to the back to earn a free pass, but a ground out ended the inning with LC trailing 4-1.
 
The Warriors got another run back in the bottom of the fifth. Zach Needham notched his first hit as a Warrior to start the inning, and Callahan stayed hot at the plate with an RBI double down the right field line to cut the deficit to 4-2.
 
The Cavaliers got to Woods in the top of the sixth, striking for two runs before Matt Becker replaced him on the mound to get LC out of a jam.
 
The Warrior offense found momentum in the home half of the sixth when Lampkin and Jeff Bart both reached on hit-by-pitches and Needham walked to load the bases with two outs. Callahan tallied his third hit of the day with a clutch two-RBI single two bring the Warriors within two at 6-4. Dalton Duarte picked up is first hit and RBI at LC with a single into the no-man's land behind the shortstop. Concordia led 6-5 at the close of the inning.
 
Becker worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the seventh to get the Warriors back into the box.
 
The offensive barrage continued for the Warriors, beginning with a walk to Lampkin. Way tripled to knock in the tying run and Caden Goldby sent a pinch-hit double to left to give LC a 7-6 lead. Bart singled then stole second, then Callahan reached on an error, allowing another run to score to add to the Warrior advantage.
 
Three runs on three hits and a Warrior error put Concordia back on top 9-8 in the top of the eighth, and they tacked on two in the ninth to take an 11-8 lead into the final half inning.
 
The Warriors went down in order in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Callahan had the hot bat in game one going 3-for-4 with three RBI. He reached in all five of his plate appearances, getting on base via his three hits, a walk and an error. Way was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a home run.
 
The Warriors outhit the Cavaliers 12-10 but committed four errors.
 
GAME TWO: LCSC defeats Concordia 17-1
 
The Warriors rewrote the script in game two, putting 17 runs on the board and allowing just one.
 
Trainor put LC on the board in a loud way in the bottom of the first. With the bases full of Warriors, the senior sent a triple past the diving right fielder to clear the bases and put the Warriors in front 3-0. Makana Victorine knocked him in with a productive ground ball out.
 
Gerald Hein struck out the side in the top of the second.
 
Isaac Wersland tallied his first hit as a Warrior in the form of an RBI single in the bottom of the third to stretch the LC lead to 5-0.
 
The Warriors continued to add on in the home half of the fourth, sparked by Jacob Gribbin reaching on an error. The speedy junior stole second and Bart reached on a walk, then both advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch.
 
A passed ball brought in Gribbin for the first run of the inning before Way drew a walk to put runners on the corners. The Warriors took advantage of an error for another run, and ended the inning with two runs on no hits, leading 7-0.
 
The Cavaliers scratched across a run in the top of the fifth, but the Warriors quickly responded in the home half of the inning. A walk to Victorine was followed by back-to-back singles by Wersland and Davis, loading the bases for Bart. A base on balls brought in the Warriors' eighth run of the game before a wild pitch brought the score to 9-1.
 
Way singled to bring another across as the Warriors continued to dominate Concordia pitching in game two.
 
Trainor led off the bottom of the sixth with a walk and advanced on a hard-hit single through the left side from Victorine. Goldby stepped into the box next and drew a walk, and Garvin was hit by a pitch to bring in a run. Lampkin, who was courtesy running for Victorine, scored on a wild pitch as the Warriors continued to tack on runs.
 
The Warriors batted around in the bottom of the eighth, striking for five runs on two hits and four walks to pad their lead 17-1.
 
Andrew Najeeb-Brush sat Concordia down in order to close out the ballgame.
 
Trainor led the offensive efforts in the game with two hits, a double and triple, to go with six RBI.
The Warriors totaled only eight hits in the contest but took advantage of 15 walks and six hit batters by Concordia pitching.
 
They continue the series tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 10 a.m.