CALDWELL, Idaho - Ryan Sells went 4-for-9 with a homer and six RBI, igniting a 31-hit Lewis-Clark State attack, as the Warriors swept a doubleheader from The College of Idaho, winning 17-3 and 11-7 at Wolfe Field.
The Warriors (26-8, 12-3 NAIA West) ended a three-game losing streak by hitting four home runs in the twinbill, while getting solid starting pitching from Carson Nylund and Steve Thompson to take the middle games of the "Gem State World Series."
L-C jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in Game 1, as Brady Steiger golfed a first inning two-run homer just inside the foul pole in right. The Warriors would add single runs in the fourth and fifth innings - getting sacrifice flies from Bobby Joe Tannehill and Sells. The visitors broke the game open in the sixth, as a Tannehill RBI double, a Jake Shirley sacrifice fly, and a Zach Holley RBI single extended the lead to 7-0.
The Yotes (17-14, 8-7) broke through in the sixth, as Seth Champlin tripled and scored on a Nick Muncy ground out, but the Warriors answered with a seven-run seventh - including a two-run Kyle Knigge single and a two-run double from Sells. L-C capped their scoring in the ninth, as Sells and Eric Peterson hit back-to-back homers.
Nylund allowed two runs on four hits in seven innings to log his fourth win. Knigge and Sells each had three hits in the victory for L-C. Champlin had a double and triple for the Yotes, with Gregg Simonds adding a pair of hits.
Game 2 saw the Warriors bat around for five runs in the second inning, capped by a long three-run homer by Tannehill. L-C added a run in each of the middle innings, then extended the lead to 11-0 in the seventh on a two-run single by Steiger and a Cody Lavalli RBI single.
Thompson was dominant, allowing just three hits and striking out nine in his seven innings of work.
However, the Yotes made it interesting against the L-C bullpen in the ninth, as with a runner on and two outs - four straight C of I batters were plunked, forcing in two runs. Erik Jacobs walked to make it 11-3, with Jarel Lewis lining a two-run double and Jesse Dodd a two-run single to cut the margin to four. Sells closed it out for the Warriors, striking out Simonds to end the game.
Six different LCSC batters had two hits in the win, while Dodd and Champlin each had two hits for the Yotes.
The two teams wrap up the series tomorrow, beginning with a 12:30 p.m. Easter Egg Hunt, followed by first pitch at 1 p.m.
