May 27, 2008

(Box Score)

LEWISTON, Idaho - Mike Rivera, who entered the game in the bottom of the 10th inning, slugged a solo home run in the top of the 12th to lift two-time defending champion No. 3 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) College over No. 2 Oklahoma City University 9-5 in a wild contest before 5,160 fans in the 52nd annual AVISTA-NAIA World Series at Harris Field on Monday night.

Rivera replaced Nic Benton in left field with one out in the bottom of the 10th and Oklahoma City threatening with runners on first and second. OCU eventually got the potential winning run to third base but stranded him there.

Rivera, who had only one home run in his previous 98 at-bats this season, took a 2-1 pitch from reliever Garrett Parker and put it over the right-center field fence.

LCSC added two more runs in the 12th when OCU self-destructed defensively. Brent Wyatt doubled and eventually scored on a wild pitch. Sean Halton added an RBI single, while a dropped fly ball allowed another run to score.

OCU used five pitchers in the 12th inning and tied a Series record by using seven pitchers in the game.

The Stars did put two runners on base in the bottom of the 12th, but the Warriors turned a double play to end the game.

The win means LCSC, 55-6 overall, can finish no worse than tied for third in the tournament. The Warriors and Lee (Tenn.) University are the lone undefeated teams and will meet at 7 p.m. on Tuesday (May 27). OCU, 56-11, is one of four teams with one loss remaining. The Stars face Embry-Riddle (Fla.) in a loser-out game at 3 p.m. on Tuesday. The first game Tuesday has Union (Ky.) against Spring Arbor (Mich.) at 11 a.m., also in loser-out play.

Both teams had opportunities to end the game. LCSC rallied from a 4-1 deficit and took a 5-4 lead in the eighth inning on a solo home run by Sean Halton. OCU, however, picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth with the help of an LCSC error.

While Rivera provided the hitting heroics, LCSC relievers Justin Mace and Blaine Hardy put him in the position. The two combined to not allow an earned run in their eight innings of work.

Mace, who has been used mainly as a closer this season, stretched his scoreless streak to 22 innings by holding the big-hitting Stars to just five hits over 4.2 innings. He entered the game in the third for starter Michael Guerrero who was roughed up for four runs early. Mace struck out five and walked two and has not allowed a run in his last 10 appearances.

After Mace issued a walk to start the eighth inning, he was replaced by Hardy who pitched the final five innings. He allowed four hits and two walks, and struck out four.

LCSC, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, rode Mace's performance to gradually chip away at the lead. The Warriors scored single runs in the fourth, sixth, and seventh to tie the game. Halton then took the second pitch of the eighth inning and put it over the left-center field fence to give the Warriors their first lead of the game. It was the designated hitter's sixth home run of the season.

Just three outs away from the win, the Warriors allowed the Stars to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. Kirk Walker hit a grounder to Warrior shortstop Brent Wyatt, who threw wild to first base, allowing Walker to reach second. After an out, David Dennis singled to left to tie the game and force extra innings.

Oklahoma City, the No. 2 seed in the 10-team double-elimination tournament, jumped out to a 4-1 lead after three innings against LCSC. The Stars took a 2-0 lead in the second when Brandon Moss was hit by a pitch and Landon Camp followed with a two-run home run.

LCSC countered with a run in the top of the third when Benton walked and advanced to third on a pair of groundouts. Kyle Greene's single to right field scored Benton.

The Stars made it 4-1 in the bottom of the inning when Brent Weaver was hit by a pitch and scored on a double by David Dennis. Moss then followed with an RBI double to end Guerrero's night.

LCSC cut the margin to 4-2 in the fourth when Halton drew a leadoff walk and scored on a triple by Chris Valencia.

Brian Ward's RBI double in the sixth made it 4-3. Ward's hit scored Ikaika Lester, who started the rally with a single.

The Warriors then tied the game in the seventh when Paul Martin singled with one out and advanced to second on a fielding error. Greene followed with a single to left field to score Martin.

Greene and Halton had two hits and two RBI apiece for LCSC, while Halton and Josh Ashenbrenner also had two hits. Dennis had two hits and two RBI for the Stars, while Moss and Caleb Annesley added two hits apiece.