LEWISTON, Idaho – The Warrior offense totaled 24 runs in 14 innings on Sunday to sweep a doubleheader against NCAA Division III Whitman College. No. 4 LC State Baseball struck out 16 batters throughout the twin bill en route to the 10-0 and 14-4 victories, both in seven innings via the 10-run rule.
"We put together one of our better overall performances of the young season in the first game," Head Coach
Jake Taylor said. "Trent (Sellers) worked efficiently with pace. Offensively, our approach and pitch recognition were solid. In game two we got off to a bit of a slow start, but got going later in the game. Cam (Smith) threw well out of the pen and we capitalized on several of their miscues."
GAME ONE: LC State def. Whitman 10-0 (7 Inn.)
A passed ball on the Whitman catcher brought in the game's first run.
Justin Mazzone and
Luke White tallied back-to-back singles before
Zach Threlfall walked to load the bases. The passed ball plated Mazzone and gave LC a 1-0 advantage in the second.
The Warriors added on in the third with a four-run inning.
A.J. Davis walked and stole second before scoring on a base hit by
Sam Linscott. An error put two on and White brought in the pair with a single up the middle. A single by
Nick Seamons moved him into scoring position before Threlfall's sacrifice fly made it 5-0.
LC State faced the minimum through the first three innings with
Trent Sellers on the mound. The junior struck out the side in the third frame.
A five-run fourth inning put the game away for LC State. An error put
Riley Way on base and a knock by Davis put runners on the corners.
Aidan Nagle wore a pitch to load the bases before Mazzone drove in two with a hit through the right side. An infield single by White brought in Nagle and wild pitches brought two more across to make it 10-0.
The Warrior bullpen arms of
Lucas Gregory and
Harrison Grow closed out the contest without a run scoring. The game was called after the top of the seventh with LC being up 10 runs.
White led the offense in game one with three hits (3-for-3) and three RBI. Mazzone tallied two hits and scored three runs. Sellers fanned seven batters in his five innings to earn the victory. He gave up just two hits, Gregory allowed one, and neither walked a batter. Grow did not allow a hit in his inning and struck out one.
GAME TWO: LC State def. Whitman 14-4 (7 Inn.)
Whitman put up its first runs of the game on three hits and an error in the top of the first to take a 2-0 lead, but the Warriors answered with two in the home half of the inning. Way was hit by a pitch, then created havoc on the bases when he stole second and third. A single by Davis brought Way across before a botched pick-off attempt put Davis on second. Linscott tied things up with an RBI-double to left center.
Starter
Joe Ball struck out a batter as part of a 1-2-3 second inning and added two more punchouts in the third.
LC State took the lead in the third with three runs. Davis led the frame off with a hit and Nagle walked, putting two on with one out. Linscott and Seamons each drove in a run before Seamons and Linscott pulled off a double steal, Seamons taking second and Linscott scoring, to make it 5-2.
The Blues added a run in the top of the fourth, but the Warriors got it back in the fifth on an RBI-groundout by
Matt James. After five innings, LC led 6-3.
Cameron Smith struck out a pair in the top of the sixth inning to silence the Whitman bats, and Blues pitchers loaded the bases for LC on two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Linscott drove in two with a double off the wall in center and Seamons knocked in two more with a single.
Ethan Rhoads collected the first hit of his career with an RBI-single to make it an 11-3 lead.
Whitman's Ben Parker hit a solo shot to cut into the LC lead, but Smith shut the door with a pair of strikeouts to end the frame.
White called game in the bottom of the seventh with a three-run blast to put the 10-run rule in effect for the second straight game. Nagle walked and Linscott singled to put two on, and White crushed a ball into the stands in left to end with by a score of 14-4.
Linscott led the offense with four hits and four RBI in game two. Davis tallied three hits, and White and Seasmons each knocked in three. Ball earned his second win of the season after striking out four in three innings. Smith closed out the final 2.1 innings with four strikeouts.
The Warriors remain in Lewiston to host DIII Whitworth next weekend in a three-game set. Tickets and streaming packages can be purchased at lcwarriors.com.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com or on social media @LCWarriors.
