May 26, 2008

(Box Score)

LEWISTON, Idaho - Trailing 5-0, No. 1 Lee (Tenn.) University (60-8) exploded for eight runs and overcame No. 5 Union (Ky.) College (48-16) 14-8 this afternoon at the 2008 AVISTA-NAIA World Series from Harris Field. Six of those runs came via three home runs. In all, four different Flames smashed balls out of the park in front of 2,025 fans.

Union took the momentum first lighting the scoreboard for five runs through the first two innings. The first batters of the game, Kenny Kysar and Lioney Henriquez, would eventually score on a sacrifice fly and a double. The Bulldogs then loaded the bases in the top of the second with one out. UC took advantage of an error by Lee's shortstop to score twice before an RBI-single by Justin Hart. At that point, Union held a comfortable 5-0 lead heading into the third.

The comfort level for the Bulldogs quickly evaporated as the Lee bats woke up. Held without a hit before the third, Lee sent 12 batters to the plate and chased starter Marcus White in the bottom half of the third. Clint Harrelson and Brian Bistagne hit back-to-back home runs for the first time in the World Series in two years.

When the dust cleared, Lee scored eight runs which tied the highest output by a team thus far in the World Series.

Union's offense countered with two in the fourth and one in the fifth to tie the score at 8-8.  Two sacrifice flies and an RBI-double by Brett McAlpin brought the underdogs back into the game.

The top-seeded Flames took the lead for good with a four-spot in the fifth frame to go up 12-8. The decisive hit was a two-run single off the bat of Jeremy Hutslar. Hutslar finished the game 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Lee pushed two insurance tallies across courtesy of Chris Warters, who knocked out his team-best 18^th homer, in the eighth.

Jeff Ibarra, a lefty from San Marcos, Calif., entered in the fifth inning and held the Union bats to one run on three hits. He struck out four batters and did not record a walk to improve to 10-2 on the year.

Bistagne wrapped up the game going 4-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI for Lee. Edgar Mercado added three hits in three trips to the plate and scored twice.

For Union, Kysar and Henriquez each went 2-for-4 with a combined five runs scored. The rest of the line-up went just 5-for-23 (.217).

Logsdon, who entered in the third inning for the Bulldogs, took the loss falling to 4-2 on the mound. He gave up six runs on five hits.

Lee continues in the winner's bracket and will play on Tuesday, May 27 with the opponent to be announced later tonight. Union falls to the loser's bracket and awaits its opponent later today as well.

Despite the close proximity of the two schools, merely 184 miles, this meeting was the first in school history on the baseball diamond.