May 31, 2007

LEWISTON, Idaho - Ikaika Lester's solo home run in the top of the eighth inning and four strong innings of relief from Will Morgan put the Lewis-Clark State College baseball team one win away from its second consecutive national championship and the program's 15th overall.

Lester's home run broke a 7-7 tie and Morgan allowed one hit over the final four innings to help the Warriors defeat Houston Baptist 8-7 Wednesday in the 51st annual Avista NAIA World Series at LCSC's Harris Field.

The win puts LCSC (57-5) in the championship game for the 19th time in the last 26 years. LCSC also will be seeking its fifth title in the 2000s and 15th overall. The next highest Series championship victories is four by Grand Canyon.

The Warriors will square off against Spring Arbor (48-4) at 7 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday night. If the Michigan school wins, the two teams will play again for the title on Friday night. LCSC is undefeated in the 10-team double-elimination field, while Spring Arbor has a 7-0 setback to the Warriors on Tuesday night for its only loss.

Despite being the tournament's eighth seed, Houston Baptist (43-21) matched LCSC run for run until Morgan (5-1) entered the game with the Warriors trailing 7-6. The 6-foot-1 junior right-hander closed the door on the Huskies and didn't allow a hit in the final three innings, although HBU did make it interesting in the ninth by putting a runner on second base thanks to an error, but a great defensive play by LCSC third baseman Beau Mills picked the runner off on a grounder and Morgan picked up his fourth and final strikeout of the night to end the game.

Lester, who has 21 RBI in eight postseason games, had a relatively quiet evening until the eighth by going 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout. However, with two outs in the top of the eighth, Lester took an offering from HBU pitcher Keith Brunson and put it over the wall in right-center field for the game-winning run.

The contest featured a matchup of Chris Kissock, LCSC's ace during the regular season, and HBU's No. 2 pitcher Matthew Headley, but it was obvious early that neither pitcher had his best stuff. Kissock pitched four innings and allowed eight hits and five runs - four earned - and struck out one and walked one. Headley only made it through two innings and gave up nine hits, six runs, and two walks.

LCSC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first when Mark Thompson and Kyle Melton singled, and Lester was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jessie Mier drove in a run on a fielder's choice grounder, and Brent Wyatt and Paul Martin added RBI single.

HBU tied the game in the second when Michael Crabtree singled and went to third on a double by Andrew Taccolini. A walk loaded the bases and Jay Prigmore's grounder brought in a run, while Kory Johns added a two-run single.

The Warriors answered with three runs in the top of the third. Mier started the rally with a double and Ryan Wholey was inserted to pinch-hit for Wyatt. Wholey responded with a two-run home run and Jesse Roehl later added an RBI single.

HBU picked up a run in the bottom of the third on an RBI sacrifice fly by Taccolini, and added another in the fifth when Greg Gossett tripled and scored on a single by Taccolini.

The Huskies then put up two in the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. A throwing error allowed the first run, while an RBI single by Gossett put the Huskies ahead.

LCSC answered with the tying run in the top of the seventh when Mart doubled to left field and eventually scored on a sacrifice fly by Roehl.

Martin finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI for LCSC, while Wholey added two hits and two RBI. Beau Mills, who still needs one home run to tie the NAIA single-season mark, went 2-for-4, while Thompson was 2-for-5.

Taccolini went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored for HBU, while Johns went 2-for-3 with two RBI.

This was HBU's first Series appearance.