LEWISTON, Idaho
– Spring Arbor (Mich.) ripped eight
doubles and scored eight runs between
the fifth and sixth innings, cruising to
a 14-6 win in elimination play over
Lindenwood (Mo.) on day four of the 2007
Avista-NAIA World Series.
Lindenwood (47-20) banged
out 12 hits and was led at the plate by
Ryan Shockley (3-for-5, two RBIs) and
Matt Pohlman (2-for-4, three RBIs), but
starting pitcher Nate Eisenbeis (9-3),
who was hit with the loss, lasted only
four complete, giving up six runs on
eight hits while walking three and
striking out three.
Brad Baker was one of
three Cougars (47-4) to score three
runs, ripping two doubles with an RBI,
while Jeffrey Hollister and Jeffrey
Tebeau also scored three times in
1-for-3 days at the plate. Jonathan
Herbig was 3-for-5 with a team-best five
driven in, scoring three times in the
elimination win.
Andrew Paulun (7-1)
tossed 5.1 innings, surrendering 10 hits
and six runs while fanning two and
walking three. Bobby Goike (2) got an
automatic save in the win, tossing 3.2
innings of two-hit shut-out baseball.
Jesse Bachman drew a
one-out walk to start the Spring Arbor
first, and freshman shortstop Baker
brought the speedy Bachman around with a
double to the gap.
Baker stole second on the
next pitch, and Spring Arbor went up 2-0
when Eric Vojkofsky blistered a double
into left center to score Baker from
third.
Lindenwood jumped on
board with a run in the first, starting
when Chris Getz laced a would-be single
into center. Jon Schaible charged from
deep into the outfield and left his feet
in attempt to make the catch, but the
ball got by, rolling to the wall as Getz
was credited with a triple.
Getz came in a batter
later, cutting the lead to 2-1 on a
Marty Clements sacrifice fly to center.
Spring Arbor took a 5-1
lead in the third inning getting started
with one out in the top of the third on
a second double by Baker. The freshman
got to third on a passed ball five
pitches later, and Spring Arbor’s
two-base trend continued two batters
later, as Baker scored his second run of
the game on a double by Hollister to
push the lead back to two.
Tebeau continued the
two-out rally with another double,
knocking in Hollister to make it 4-1,
and the sophomore crossed to complete
the three-run third a play later when
Rider singled to center.
Lindenwood chipped back
in the fourth, scoring two on an RBI
single by Pohlman that moved Corey Hill
and Chris Bielski through to make it
5-3, but Herbig got the runs back in the
top of the fifth with a one-out double
for a 7-3 lead.
The Cougars got one more
in the fifth when Herbig broke for third
and the ensuing throw ended up in left
field for the inning’s third run. Spring
Arbor loaded the bases an inning later
and with two outs, Tebeau drew an RBI
walk to give the Cougars a 9-3
advantage.
Two more scored on the
Cougars’ next at bat when Herbig ripped
one through the middle for a two-RBI
single, and Rider closed the five-run
rally by doubling to the gap in left,
clearing the bases to make it 13-3.
Rider was tossed out on the play at
third, marking the eighth double of the
day for Spring Arbor.
Back-to-back doubles in
the sixth helped the Lions score three
to close the middle innings down 13-6,
but the Cougars managed to stop momentum
when a one-out fly ball lifted to left
field turned into a double play when
Herbig cut down Shockley at third base
for an inning ending double play.
A Lindenwood throwing
error in the ninth tacked on one more
for the Cougars, who move into Wednesday
awaiting their opponent, which will be
announced following Lewis-Clark State
(Idaho) and Bellevue (Neb.).