Point Loma Nazarene holds off Lee 8-6 to advance to title contest
May 28, 2009
Story courtesy of Bert Sahlberg, Media Coordinator
LEWISTON, Idaho – (box score) After using pitching and defense to win games at the 53rd Avista-NAIA World Series, Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) turned to power on Wednesday night (May 27) and slugged five home runs to defeat Lee (Tenn.) 8-6 and advance to the championship game for the first time in program history.
Point Loma (45-11) faces Lubbock Christian University (Texas) in Thursday’s championship game at 7:05 p.m. If Point Loma should lose, the “if necessary” game will be played on Friday at the same time.
Lubbock Christian (50-7) lost to Point Loma 2-1 on Tuesday for its only loss in the 10-team double-elimination tournament. Lubbock Christian won its only national title in 1983.
Against Lee on Wednesday, Point Loma had some surprising heroes. Tim Winslow, who had only homered once this season, hit two in the game and finished with three RBI. Ian MacMaster also hit his third of the season, while Tyler Kuehl smacked his seventh homer. Finally, Kurt Steinhauer, who is having an outstanding tournament, hit his 19th home run of the season.
The game’s first six runs actually came on home runs. Steinhauer hit a solo home run in the first, while Kuehl hit a two-run shot in the second for the Sea Lions, while Tanner Moore and Elvis Sosa hit solo home runs for Lee in the first and second inning, respectively.
Point Loma made it 4-2 in the fifth on Winslow’s first home run, a solo shot to right-center field. The Sea Lions added two more in the sixth when Alex Cameron singled in a run, while Winslow added an RBI sacrifice fly.
After leaving the bases loaded in the sixth, Lee scored twice in the seventh on a two-run double by Julian Alvarez, but the Flames left two runners on, and did the same in the eighth.
In the meantime, MacMaster hit a solo home run in the eighth and Winslow added a solo home run in the ninth to make it 8-4.
As it did in the previous three innings, Lee got baserunners on in the ninth, but this time, a double by Junior Rodriguez and an RBI ground out by Sosa cut the margin to 8-6 with two outs and the tying run at the plate. But a routine fly ball to right field was caught to end the game.
Lee (54-14) left eight runners on base in the final four innings and 10 overall.
Point Loma starter Chad Blauer (6-5) went six innings and allowed six hits and four runs, two of which were earned. He also walked one and struck out nine. Lee starters Matthew Gilson(11-4) went five innings and gave up six hits and five earned runs. He struck out four.
Winslow finished with three RBI and two hits, while Wes Kartch and Steinhauer added two hits. Steinhauer is hitting close to .300 for the tournament and has three home runs, along with some defensive gems in center field.
Chris Warters, Alvarez, and Sosa finished with two hits apiece for Lee, while Alvarez and Sosa also had two RBI.
Lee, the No. 9 seed in the tournament, winds up placing for the second straight year in the tournament. Last year, Lee lost in the championship game to Lewis-Clark State College.
Point Loma and Lubbock Christian will meet at 7:05 p.m. on Thursday.
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