May 10, 2000

Box Score

LEWISTON, Idaho

-- Lewis-Clark State relief pitcher Wes Hutchison worked out of a bases loaded, no out jam in the top of the ninth inning to earn his third save of the year and preserved a 5-4 come-from-behind victory for the No. 1 NAIA Warriors Wednesday evening at Harris Field in Lewiston.

The win improved the Warriors record to 52-11 and have now won 10 straight games. WSU is currently riding an eight-game skid and are 16-33 in the 2000 campaign. WSU has now endured three one-run loses in its last four games and are 2-9 in one-run affairs this season.

Hutchison came on in relief in the eighth inning and did not allow a hit in his appearance. He was the victim of two errors in the top of the ninth by LCSC shortstop Elliot Strankman, but got leading Cougar hitter Ray Hattenburg to strikeout and Steve Curran to ground into a game-ending double play. Freshman left-hander Kyle Correa was made the winner to improve his record to 2-1.

The Cougars jumped out to the early 1-0 lead with a solo home run from designated hitter Wes Falkenborg in the top of the first. LCSC threatened in the bottom half of the inning by loading the bases on three walks, but failed to score the tying run. LCSC scored the tying run in the bottom of the second when they manufactured a run. Jason Ellison hit a sacrifice fly off fellow South Kitsap High School grad Nick Kenyon to bring home designated hitter Brandon O'Leary.

WSU pulled ahead with two runs in the top of the third to take their only lead of the ballgame. Freshman catcher Jon Baeder led the inning off with a double to center field. With two outs and LCSC starter Mike Chavez appeared to be out of a jam with two runners in scoring position, Jason Grove reached on an error by first baseman Trevor Brown to plate the go-ahead run. An infield hit by third baseman David Perreira pushed home the Cougs third run of the night to stake WSU to the 3-1 lead.

After WSU built a 3-1 lead after their half of the third inning, LCSC continually chipped away and eventually pulled even in the bottom of the fifth when O'Leary plated Kyle Woods with a sharp single to center field. Woods led the inning off with his 14th double of the year.

With the Warriors up 4-3 in the top of the seventh, the Cougars played catch-up and pulled even with a clutch, two-out single from Steve Curran tying the game.

LCSC scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh when Ellison drove home pinch-runner Yoshi Kimura on a sacrifice fly. The Warriors, who are known for manufacturing runs, scored four of their five runs on sacrifice flies and added a sacrifice bunt to their totals. WSU reliever Les McTavish pulled within three games of tying the school record for pitching appearances, but absorbed the loss to fall to 0-2 on the year.

The Cougars were led by Baeder who pulled above the .200 mark for the first time in his Cougar career after going 2-for-3 vs. the Warriors. Curran was also 2-for-3 with a RBI. The WSU hitters combined to leave eight men on base and Cougar pitchers combined to walk 10 and also hit two batters. For the second game in a row the Cougs played flawless defense.

The Cougars will return to action this weekend with a three-game, non-conference series vs. the Cal State Northridge Matadors (21-31). The Cougars swept the Matadors earlier this year in a three-game series in Northridge.