LCU, Point Loma were class of the field, and Chaps took control at right time
Of the Tribune
Brandon Dixon was enthusiastic yet wary. Point Loma Nazarene had just gained the inside track to a national championship, but he knew obstacles still loomed.
And the primary one was clearing out of the opposing dugout.
“Sometimes teams heat up in the losers bracket,” said the pitcher, who had just helped the Sea Lions put Lubbock Christian there by beating them 2-1 on Tuesday in a game between the last undefeated teams in the NAIA World Series. “A loss can get your attention, and you can build momentum off it.
“Look at what happened with Lee.”
Dixon’s reference to the 2008 Series was not only sage, it turned out to be prophetic. Like Lee, which failed to convert a two-games-to-win-one title shot and watched Lewis-Clark State claim the championship, Point Loma also let this prime opportunity get away.
Using Tuesday’s loss as a rallying point, Lubbock Christian came on like a tornado over the final three days of the 53rd annual Series. The Chaparrals smashed archrival Oklahoma City 14-4 to reach the title round, then, as dictated by the double-elimination format, vanquished Point Loma twice.
Their resolve was especially evident in Friday’s tournament finale, when they scored 10 runs in the first five innings and prevailed 11-8 to claim their second NAIA title, yet first in 26 seasons.
“We talk about winning a national championship every year,” LCU coach Nathan Blackwood said amid the Chaps’ postgame revelry. “Obviously we have some talent, but so does every team here. We’ve relied on hard work and good senior leadership all year, and it carried us this week.”
Lubbock Christian, the nation’s top-ranked team for most of the spring, becomes the first No. 1 seed to win the title since the seeding process was implemented in 2003. What worked for the Chaps throughout the season - solid pitching, astute defense and a lineup full of prodigious bats - allowed them to navigate what may have been the best 10-team field in Series history. They led the tournament in hitting (.333), pitching (2.67 ERA ) and fielding percentage (.986).
But even with this highly competitive gathering, the result of a new, non-geographical qualification plan, it became evident before the Series even reached its halfway point that LCU and Point Loma were a step ahead of the pack.
Tuesday’s matchup underscored that point.
Dixon and LCU’s R.L. Eisenbach waged a memorable duel on the mound, both going the distance in the Series’ only game that didn’t include a home run and one of just two that had no errors. Eisenbach yielded only five hits to Dixon’s seven, but paid dearly for two seventh-inning walks (his only ones of the game), both of which came around score.
“We’ve spent all season preaching to the guys, ‘If you’re capable of doing something big, then get to Idaho and do something big,’ ” Point Loma coach Joe Schaefer said afterward. “We’ve put ourselves in a great position to do just that.”
But the Sea Lions, who had been close to impeccable over their first three games, could not match that level of quality though the final three. They withstood lapses in beating Lee 8-6 to reach the title round, then looked inexplicably listless in a 5-1 loss to the Chaps and Rene Garcia.
And Friday’s game started much the same way, with Lubbock Christian ringing up five first-inning runs. But the Sea Lions regained their composure as well as their offensive stroke, pulling even two innings later.
The Chaps, however, responded with a three-run homer in the bottom of the third by Will Stramp, the eventual Series MVP, and moved ahead to stay.
“That’s how a national championship game should be,” said Blackwood, whose team finished 52-8. “Even with that good start, we knew it was going to be tough.”
What no one probably anticipated was how tough a tournament, and how short, it would be for Lewis-Clark State. Ravaged by injuries and disciplinary suspensions, the three-time defending champions were eliminated Monday, making this just the third time in the Warriors’ 28 Series appearances that they failed to net a top-four finish.
Surprisingly, their ouster didn’t affect the tourney’s appeal with fans. Capped by Friday’s crowd of 4,005, the Series’ total attendance was 42,802, the third-highest mark in the 18 years the event has been held in Lewiston.
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Browitt may be contacted at jbrowitt@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2260.
