BOX SCORE
LEWISTON, Idaho – Senior
Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) took the hill for the second time in three days today against the NAIA's No. 1-ranked Warriors of Lewis-Clark State, but did not come away on the winning end as Corban's baseball team fell 14-3 in the "Battle of the Warriors" Sunday evening at Harris Field as part of the Regence BlueShield of Idaho Tournament.
Two days ago, Braun came on in the ninth inning to help Corban to a season-opening 18-16 victory over fellow NAIA West Grouping member The College of Idaho. The 6-foot-5 right-hander pitched 0.1 innings en route to recording his first save of the season.
After coming on in a relief role on Friday, Braun stepped onto the mound in a starter's role for the first time this season and was roughed up in 5.0 innings of work allowing 12 runs (nine earned) on 11 hits to go along with a team-best four strikeouts.
The first inning began with senior
Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.) registering a two-out double before advancing to third via a pass ball. During sophomore
Kyle Taylor's
(Clackamas, Ore.) at-bat following a walk by sophomore
Taylor Stiles (Santa Maria, Calif.), Spicer was gunned down attempting to steal home, as Stiles was caught in a pick-off attempt trying to get to second, en route to ending both the inning and the Warriors' scoring threat.
The top-ranked Warriors of Lewis-Clark State were held scoreless in their first at-bat, but came alive in the bottom of the second inning with five runs on five hits. The highlight of the inning came off the bat of Josh Ashenbrenner, who registered a two-out, two-run single to center field that brought home LCSC's third and fourth runs of the inning.
After allowing six unanswered runs, Corban got on the board for the first time in the top of the fourth inning when sophomore
Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.) opened with a walk before advancing to second on a LCSC fielding error. Winsor came home when Stiles reached via a throwing error by Lewis-Clark State's shortstop in an attempt to turn a double play, which brought the score to 6-1.
Neither team scored again until the bottom of the fifth inning when Lewis-Clark State tacked on six more runs on five hits that included another two-run double by Ashenbrenner along with a two-run double by Kyle Melton.
After watching the host Warriors put two more runs on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, Corban got a two-run single from sophomore
Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.) in the top of the seventh to cap the game's scoring. With the bases loaded and two outs, Hiebert calmly stepped to the plate and stroked a single into left field and then advanced to second, as LCSC attempted to throw out junior
Josh Warner at home.
Neither team scored again during the remainder of the game, as Corban freshman
Mike McKay (Almira, Wash.) held Lewis-Clark State scoreless in the bottom of the eighth inning despite having the bases loaded with one out.
Spicer and Warner led the Warriors' offense with two hits each, while Hiebert registered a team-best two RBI to go along with three other Corban players – junior
Mitch Riddle (Pullman, Wash.), senior
Russ Johnston (Independence, Ore.), and junior
Cameron Meier (Salem, Ore.) – that recorded a hit each.
Braun went the first 5.0 innings before handing the ball over to a trio of relievers – sophomore
Chris Trammell (Salem, Ore.), sophomore
Kyle Lamson (Medford, Ore.), and McKay – that combined for 3.0 innings of work. Trammell allowed two earned runs on two hits, while the other two pitchers threw scoreless innings of relief.
Lewis-Clark State was led by Ashenbrenner and Travis Georguis, who had two hits and four RBI each. The duo was aided offensively by Todd Muecklisch's 3-for-4 performance, while Rene Escobar and Kawika Emsley-Pai had two hits each.
Pitching-wise, Ryan Woods went the opening 5.0 innings for the host Warriors allowing one unearned run on two hits before handing the ball over to a duo of relievers. LCSC's Andrew LeDuc and Dustin Willis combined to throw 4.0 innings of work, allowing two runs (all earned) on a combined six hits.
With today's results, both Corban and Lewis-Clark State are now 2-1 overall on the young season. The Salem-based Warriors will conclude play at the Regence BlueShield of Idaho Tournament against fellow NAIA West Grouping member Patten on Monday, February 16th, beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Harris Field on the campus of Lewis-Clark State College.
NOTE: If Corban defeats Patten and L-C State can pick up a win against The College of Idaho then the two teams will be co-tournament champions along with Concordia, who concluded its play in Lewiston earlier today going 3-1 overall.
