LCSC right-hander paves the way in
7-0 win
LEWISTON, Idaho
–Sophomore right-hander Matt Fitts
tossed a two-hitter and Beau Mills
hit his 35th home run of
the season to help defending
champion Lewis-Clark State College
defeat Spring Arbor 7-0 in the 51st
annual Avista NAIA World Series on
Monday at LCSC’s Harris Field.
Fitts
(10-1) took a no-hitter into the
eighth inning before Jeffrey Teabeau
singled on an 0-2 count to lead off
the bottom of the eighth inning.
Fitts also allowed a ninth-inning
single to Bradley Baker, but then
retired the side to record the
Warriors’ 10th shutout
this season, but the first by just
one pitcher. The other nine were a
combination effort by the LCSC
staff.
Fitts
was simply masterful in the game. He
struck out 12 and induced nine
ground outs. He also walked two and
threw 111 pitches.
Mills
also moved to closer to tying the
NAIA single-season home run mark of
36 with his solo blast in the fifth
inning. Mills needs just one home
run to tie Mike Maggers of
Mary-Hardin Baylor for the record.
Maggers hit 36 during the 1992
season.
The
victory helped the Warriors (55-5)
move closer to claiming their 15th
series title under coach Ed Cheff.
LCSC is just one of two undefeated
teams left from the original 10-team
field. The Warriors will square off
against the other tourney unbeaten,
Bellevue University, at 7 p.m.
Tuesday night. Tuesday’s winner will
be guaranteed no worse than a
third-place finish in the
tournament.
Spring
Arbor, the No. 2 seed in the
tournament, never got a runner past
first base in the game. The Cougars
(46-4) also were shutout for the
first time this season.
LCSC
didn’t waste much time in taking the
lead as both Kyle Greene and Kyle
Melton hit solo home runs in the
second inning. Greene’s was his
seventh of the season while Melton’s
was his first and went to the
deepest area of the ballpark in
center field.
LCSC
made it 5-0 in the fourth when two
walks sandwiched around Jessie
Mier’s double loaded the bases with
no outs. Paul Martin was then hit by
a pitch to bring in a run, while
Melton reached on a fielder’s choice
to bring in another. Jesse Roehl’s
sacrifice fly brought in the third
run.
In the
fifth inning, Mills took a
full-count offering over the right
field fence for his second home run
of the tournament.
LCSC’s
final run came in the seventh when
Melton doubled and scored on a
single by Zach Evangelho. Melton was
the only Warrior with multiple hits
as he went 2-for-4 with two RBI and
two runs scored. Mills and Greene
both went 1-for-3 with an RBI and
two runs scored.
Jesse
Bachman (12-1) took the loss for
Spring Arbor. He pitched eight
innings and allowed five hits, three
walks and six runs. He also struck
out four, but hit three batters.
Spring
Arbor returns to action in a
loser-out contest on Tuesday against
Lindenwood at 3 p.m., while Azusa
Pacific meets Houston Baptist in the
first loser-out game at 11 a.m.
Tuesday’s pairings in loser-out play
had to be adjusted because
Lindenwood has already played Azusa
Pacific and Houston Baptist in the
tournament. Tournament rules say the
bracket will be adjusted if
necessary so that teams won’t have
to play each other twice unless
necessary.
