Lions roll in rematch of Super Regional matchup

LEWISTON, Idaho – Chris Bielski hit two home runs and drove in seven runs to help No. 8 seed Lindenwood University defeat No. 9 seed Houston Baptist University 18-4 in the opening round of the 51st annual Avista NAIA World Series at Lewis-Clark State College’s Harris Field on Friday. 

The contest, which was a rematch of the Mid-South Super Regional, was stopped in the seventh inning because of the 10-run rule. Lindenwood also won the best-of-three series in the Super Regional 2-1. 

Lindenwood (46-18) broke out early in Friday’s ballgame and scored four times in the first inning and six in the second for a 10-0 lead. Houston Baptist, now 40-20, cut the margin to 13-4 in the sixth, but Lindenwood scored five more in the top of the seventh for the win. 

The Lions pounded out 16 hits in the contest, including three home runs. Bielski, a 6-foot-3 senior outfielder, had a monster day with a two-run home run in the first, a two-run double in the second, and a three-run home run in the seventh. He finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored, but fell short of the Series record of 10 RBI in a game, set by Larry Kozeny of Nebraska-Omaha in 1959. 

Marty Clements and Mike Parson also had big days for Lindenwood. Clements, the first baseman, went 2-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored. Parson went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. All told, the No. 3-5 hitters for Lindenwood – Clements, Parson and Bielski – went a combined 7-for-14 with 13 RBI and six runs scored. 

Travis McDonnell had a two-run home run for Lindenwood in the second inning. 

Houston Baptist pitchers had all sorts of problems in the game. Four pitchers combined to give up 17 earned runs, 16 hits and five walks. Starter Jay Prigmore (6-5) allowed six hits and eight runs in just 1.1 innings. Keith Brunson lasted only one-third of an inning and gave up two hits and two runs, while Jordan Hook gave up seven hits and seven earned runs in five innings. 

Nate Eisenbeis (9-2) worked the first six innings on the mound for the Lions. He allowed eight hits and four runs. He also walked two and struck out three. 

Michael Crabtree hit a two-run home in the sixth run to pace HBU and also added an RBI single in the fourth. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBI, while Andrew Taccolini drove in the other HBU run with a single.   Ryan Majewski added two hits for HBU. 

Both teams continue action on Saturday. HBU will play the loser of Friday’s contest between Cumberland and Bellevue at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time, while Lindenwood gets top seed Azusa Pacific at 7 p.m.  Azusa Pacific (50-8) received a first-round bye on Friday.