LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State grabbed the opening game of a key NAIA West North Division series with the College of Idaho, as the Warriors outlasted the Yotes, 4-2, in a pitchers' duel at Harris Field.
Kevin Hamann allowed two runs in eight-plus innings of work for No. 2 ranked LCSC (31-5, 17-3 NAIA West), helping his club improve to 16-0 at home this season. With the tying run at the plate in the ninth, Noel Gonzalez got the final two outs to secure his seventh save of the season.
Both Hamann and Coyotes (27-11, 15-6) starter
Zach Draper put up zeros through the first three frames – with the Yotes grabbing a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning.
Mitch Skaggs doubled and scored on a two-out RBI single from
Dalton Ridgway, as both players extended their hit streaks to 14 games.
After working out of jams in the fourth and fifth, LC finally got to Draper in the sixth. J.J. Robinson tripled off the right field wall and trotted home on a Gunnar Buhner RBI single. Micah Brown followed with a run-scoring double to give the Warriors the lead for good.
LCSC would tack on insurance runs in the seventh and eighth inning, before C of I made it interesting in the ninth. Skaggs walked, moved to third on a
Cole Mansanarez single and scored on when Ridgway rolled into a double play.
Bobby Wright would single to bring the tying run to the plate, however,
Jake Bowman grounded out to end the game.
Draper went six-plus innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, striking out four in the loss, with Wright going 2-for-4.
Brown and Robinson each went 2-for-4 for the Warriors – both clocking a double and a triple.
The teams will play the middle games of the series tomorrow as part of a doubleheader scheduled for 1 p.m. (PDT)
