2007 NAIA World Series

Thursday, May 15, 2008

By Jim Browitt

Apparently Lewis-Clark State and Azusa Pacific are capable of playing conventional baseball.

Considering the frenetic precedent these teams set in last year’s NAIA West Coast Super Regional, a restrained tone isn’t what anyone expected in the rematch. But it was an appealing change of pace.

Rather than trading scoring barrages, the Warriors and Cougars opened this year’s super-regional playoff by swapping defensive gems and pitching expertise. The game had its outbursts, too - including one that was verbal, then offensive - yet ultimately came down to execution. And L-C was a tad better at that.

Stringing together four singles in the sixth inning, the Warriors scored twice and took the lead for good, prevailing 4-3 on Wednesday night at Harris Field.

Sean Halton had four of L-C’s 10 hits, including a fourth-inning home run and the final single in the sixth-inning sequence, which broke a 3-all tie.

Pitchers Michael Guerrero and Blaine Hardy took it from there, allowing only two Azusa Pacific baserunners over the final four innings (APU was designated as the home team) as L-C landed the first blow in this best-of-three series.

The Warriors, 52-5, can close out the super regional tonight at 6 when they and APU, 45-9, square off in Game 2. If the Cougars from Southern California prevail, the deciding game will take place Saturday.

“These games might not mean all that much, but nobody’s overlooking them,” said Halton, referring to the fact that L-C and APU have already clinched spots in the NAIA World Series regardless what happens in this super regional, one of seven taking place nationally. “We’re trying to play well, pick up a couple wins and head into (the Series) on a roll. I’m sure that’s how they’re looking at it too.”

L-C and Azusa Pacific, seeded first and third, respectively, among the 14 remaining teams, adhered to a tempo that was more deliberate than last year’s super regional, which featured 76 runs and 98 hits over three games. The Warriors got on the board in the second inning, with Halton scoring on a double-play grounder by Brian Ward, and APU responded in kind in the bottom of the frame on Chris Feicht’s RBI single.

That came immediately after L-C coach Ed Cheff was ejected for asserting that a slide into second by Brice Cutspec interfered with a potential double play.

After escaping further damage in the second, in large part due to second baseman Josh Ashenbrenner’s third-out snag of a tailing line drive, Guerrero surrendered two runs in the third. Stephen Kohatsu belted his 20th home run of the year, a two-out shot to straight-away center, then Kirk Nieuwenheis and Cutspec followed with back-to-back doubles.

Victimized three times by APU double plays, L-C had minimal scoring opportunities; it stranded just four baserunners, tying a season low. But those it did come by all involved Halton, including his fifth homer of the year, a drive to left-center in the fourth coming off a full-count pitch from Cougar starter Andrew Shive.

The Warriors truly got to the 6-foot-5 senior right-hander in the sixth. Brent Wyatt led off with a single, stole second, them took third on a bunt single by Paul Martin. With Kyle Greene at the plate, Shive was called for a balk that plated Wyatt with the tying run. Greene followed with a single to right field, then Halton laced a first-pitch single through the left side.

At that juncture Azusa Pacific replaced Shive (6-2) with Christian Gagne, the first of three relievers who limited L-C to just one more hit.

But L-C pitchers were just as fastidious. Guerrero (8-1) gave up a leadoff single in the sixth, which was neutralized by Greene’s lunging line-drive catch at third and a subsequent double play. He also made short work of the Cougars in the seventh, after the leadoff batter reached on the only error of the game.

Hardy, who took over to start the eighth, needed just 23 pitches to finish things. The junior right-hander struck out three and profited from a splendid ninth-inning catch in foul territory by right fielder Chris Valencia to notch the save, his fourth.

“I didn’t think most of our guys competed very well at the plate, but our pitchers were real good,” Cheff said. “I liked Guerrero after the third inning, and Hardy came in and gave us what he always does. We’ve just got to give those guys more (offensive) support.”

The Cougars no doubt felt similarly. They were held to their lowest scoring output since an 6-3 exhibition loss on April 1 to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. So far as counting games, Wednesday marked their smallest run total since an 8-1 loss Biola on March 15.

“Both clubs played good baseball tonight, which is what you’d expect at this point in the season,” APU coach Paul Svagdis said. “But we’ve got to do a better job of making things happen offensively.”

NOTES - The Warriors will send junior right-hander Matt Fitts (10-0, 3.22 ERA) to the mound this evening while APU will counter with junior right-hander Garrett Hodges (4-1, 4.95 ERA).

LEWIS-CLARK ST. AZUSA PACIFIC

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Wyatt ss 4 1 1 0 Venegas ss 5 0 0 0

Martin cf 4 1 1 0 Beyer 2b 3 0 0 0

Greene 3b 4 0 1 0 Komo 2b 0 0 0 0

Halton dh 4 2 4 2 Kohatsu c 4 1 2 1

Lester 1b 4 0 1 0 Maddox cr 0 0 0 0

Ward c 4 0 0 0 Nieuwnhs cf 3 2 2 0

Ashnbrnr 2b 4 0 0 0 Cutspec 1b 3 0 1 1

Rivera rf 3 0 1 0 Gillette lf 4 0 0 0

Valencia rf 1 0 0 0 Feicht dh 3 0 2 1

Benton lf 2 0 1 0 Cooper dh 1 0 0 0

Evans rf 3 0 0 0

Dowell 3b 4 0 0 0

Totals 34 4 10 2 Totals 33 3 7 3

Lewis-Clark State 010 102 000-4 10 1

Azusa Pacific 012 000 000-3 7 0

Lewis-Clark State ip h r er bb so

Guerrero (W, 8-1) 7 7 3 3 3 6

Hardy (S, 4) 2 0 0 0 0 3

Azusa Pacific ip h r er bb so

Shive (L, 6-2) 5 9 4 4 0 1

Gagne 1 0 0 0 0 1

Bravo 2 1 0 0 0 2

Jones 1 0 0 0 0 0

—

Browitt may be contacted at jbrowitt@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2260.

SUPER REGIONALS

Wednesday’s games (May 14)

WEST COAST
At Lewiston
Lewis-Clark State 4, Azusa Pacific 3; L-C leads series 1-0

PLAINS
At Jamestown, N.D.
Jamestown 6, Bellevue 5; Jamestown leads series 1-0

HEARTLAND
At Chicago
Spring Arbor 3, Saint Xavier 1; Spring Arbor leads series 1-0

SOUTH CENTRAL
At Lebanon, Tenn.
Cumberland 10, Union 9; Cumberland leads series 1-0

ATLANTIC SOUTH
At Daytona Beach, Fla.
Lee 9, Embry-Riddle 5; Lee leads series 1-0