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NAIA Baseball National Championship, fourth day

Report on the NAIA Baseball National Championship tournament in Lewiston, ID for May 30.

by
Bob Broughton
May 30, 2023

Results of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID for May 30.

Lewis-Clark State 8, Taylor 3 (Taylor eliminated)

The Warriors took at 5-2 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a grand slam home run by Dominic Signorelli. After that, Greg Blackman and Alec Holmes held the Trojans to two hits over the next seven innings. Blackman entered the game in the top of the first inning after Warrior starter Dallas McGill gave up a two-run home run by T.J. Bass. He pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowed one run (unearned) on two hits, walked five, and struck out five. Holmes came in in the sixth inning and went the rest of the way. He didn’t allow a hit until two out in the top of the ninth. He struck out two, and walked one.

The rest of the Warriors’ runs all came on sacrifice flies, by Isaiah Thomas in the fifth inning, and Nick Seamons in the sixth and eighth innings. Thomas finished 2-for-3 with a double. Bass finished 2-for-5. Kaleb Kolpien finished 2-for-3, and drew a walk to force in only other Trojan run. Trojan starter Gabel Pentecost got the loss.

Two additional notes: The top of the fourth inning ended on a double play after a run was walked in, and the call at first base was suspect. In the bottom of the sixth, Leo Rivera was called out for interference at first base. Attendance: 1,505. Recap Box score

Southeastern 6, Indiana Wesleyan 4 (Indiana Wesleyan eliminated)

The Wildcats were in control of this game for five innings. Starter Brock Buckley allowed only three hits, and the few baserunners the Fire had were canceled in double plays or caught stealing. They took a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning on an RBI single by Ty Mathews and a two-RBI single by Bryce Ginder. The Fire got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a home run by David Castillo and a two-RBI single by Adonys Herrera, and the game was tied 3-3. The Wildcats took the lead again with a home run by Mathews in the top of the seventh, but the Fire answered in the bottom of the seventh with a home run by Chayce Bryant that got out of Harris Field in a hurry. Buckley was relieved by Caleb Olsen, who faced two batters without recording an out. The next pitcher, Will Eldridge, was greeted by a perfect bunt single by Castillo, loading the bases with no outs. Eldridge recorded a strikeout. The next batter, Josh Pigozzo, hit a sacrifice fly. Another run was scored on an error, and the Fire led 6-3. That’s the way it ended, although the Wildcats had the bases loaded with two out (tying run on second, winning run on first). The game ended with a strikeout.

Andrew Long got the win for the Fire. Reese Wissinger, who pitched the final two innings, got the save. He allowed two hits, struck out five. Olsen got the loss. Castillo finished 3-for-4 with a home run and a double. Ginder finished 3-for-4. Three of the Fire’s runs were unearned. Recap Box score

Westmont 7, William Carey 3

The Crusaders scored three runs in the top of the second inning, on a two-RBI single by R.J. Stinson and an RBI single by Bobby Lada. Those turned out to be all the runs the Crusaders got, because three Warrior pitchers combined to hold the Crusaders to seven hits.

Those pitchers were starter Eric Oseguera – 5 2/3 innings pitched, two earned runs on four hits, six strikeouts – Zach Yates – 1 2/3 innings pitched, zero runs on two hits, got the win – and Gabe Arteaga – 1 2/3 innings pitched, zero runs on one hit, struck out four of the six batters he faced, got the save.

The Warriors got on the board in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single by Finn Snyder and a sacrifice fly by Shane Hofstadler. The Crusaders got a bad break in the bottom of the fourth. A line drive hit by Michael Soper hit Crusader starter Dario Herrera. He had to leave the game, and was replaced by Lane Jarreau. The first batter he faced, Robbie Haw, hit an RBI single, and the game was tied 3-3.

The Crusaders got another bad break in the top of the seventh when Patrick Lee (who made several good catches in right field) was hit by a line drive while running from first to second, and was called out for interference. The winning run came on an RBI double by Ryan DeSaegher in the bottom of the seventh. (The call of safe at second was suspect, but the run would have scored anyway.) They got an insurance run later in the inning on an RBI single by Patterson, and added two more runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by DeSaegher and a run walked in. They left the bases loaded.

Soper and Haw each had two hits. R.J. Stinson and Lada both went 2-for-4. Jarreau got the loss. Attendance: 890 Box score