LEWISTON, Idaho – It took eight meetings between the two teams during the season, but the UBC Thunderbirds picked up their first victory over LC State in 2022 with a big 7-4 win in the 2022 NAIA Baseball National Championship, presented by Avista. The two will face off on Thursday at 11 a.m. for the Opening Round title.
Eric Chavarria worked around a leadoff single by forcing two groundouts before a strikeout sent the Warriors to the plate.
Luke White put LC on top early with a two-run blast. The home run cleared the bleachers in left and plated
Sam Linscott to make it a 2-0 contest in the first.
UBC scored its first run in the third, but the Warriors answered with one in the bottom of the inning.
Aidan Nagle drew a walk before coming around to score on a single off the bat of
Justin Mazzone.
Bryson Spagnuolo came into a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and helped the Warriors get out without a scratch. After surrendering one in the fifth, he worked a 1-2-3 sixth to maintain the 3-2 LC edge.
The ball was handed to
Cameron Smith with two on and no outs in the seventh, and the sophomore induced three fly outs to help LC escape another jam.
Nick Seamons ended the frame with a sliding catch in foul territory.
Nagle added a run to Warrior lead with a solo shot over the scoreboard in right. His 15
th big fly of the year moved the advantage to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
UBC battled back in the top of the eighth to take a 7-4 lead and held the lead to force a winner-take-all on Thursday.
Way, White and Mazzone each notched two hits and White drove in two.
The Cascade Conference opponents will meet once more in the Opening Round championships game at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
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