Boxscore
LEWISTON, Idaho - The Warriors of Lewis-Clark State don't lose often. Winners of 16 NAIA World Series titles, LCSC had only been shutout once in 2012, but that was until Monday night when the 11th-ranked Warriors played host to the fifth-ranked Embry-Riddle Eagles. The Eagles exploded for 15 runs en route to the biggest shutout of LCSC in Warrior history. ERAU improves to 25-7 while the Warriors dip to 20-8.
Adam Paulencu took the mound for ERAU, and the junior pitched a gem, holding the Warriors to just four hits in seven innings.
Paulencu looked to be matched up in a pitching duel against LCSC's starter Austin Pentecost. The two right-handers went back and forth through the first four innings, neither team able to score off the other's hurler.
Embry-Riddle opened their 15 run rout with three runs in the fifth.
Mike Gragilla began the frame with a double to right center, moving to third on a fielding error by the Warriors' right fielder that allowed
Adam Cellini to get to second on his batted ball.
Greg Smith brought in the first Eagle run with an RBI groundout to second before Arias tripled to left center to score Cellini's courtesy runner,
Tyler Robbins. Arias was shaken up on the play and was replaced by
JT Warmoth. Warmoth scored when
Jeff Lemon singled down the left field line, giving ERAU a 3-0 lead.
Paulencu delivered a shutdown inning for the Eagles in the bottom of the fifth, setting the stage for a big inning from his offense.
With the bases loaded and just one out in the sixth, Warmoth launched his first home run of the 2012 season over the wall in left field, a no-doubter grand slam that gave the Blue and Gold a 7-0 lead.
The Eagles kept it up in the seventh, plating four more runs to give Paulencu an 11-0 advantage. Cellini doubled a pair of runs in with two outs, and Smith again collected an RBI with a single up the middle, scoring Robbins before Lemon chased in Smith with a single down the left field line.
Lemon helped preserve the shutout with an outfield assist from right field in the eighth. The Warriors were able to load the bases, but on a single to right field, Billy Silvestri attempted to run home. However, Lemon cut him down at the plate with a solid toss from the outfield for the final out of the frame.
Nick Godfrey brought in two runs with a single in the eighth, scoring Gragilla and
Brett Tressler.
Eric Green threw a scoreless bottom-half of the eighth, stranding two LCSC runners on the bases.
James Podlucky and
David Belardes each tallied an RBI single in the ninth, accounting for the 15-0 final. For Belardes, it was his first-ever hit as an Eagle.
Andrew Lytle made his second appearance of 2012 in the bottom of the ninth, closing the game by leaving the bases loaded with a ground ball to
Jordan Romero at second that he flipped to
Ben Kline at short to end the contest.
Paulencu (3-1) tossed seven innings, allowing just four hits while striking out eight batters. Green and Lytle each pitched a scoreless inning.
Warmoth finished 3-for-3 with four RBIs, and just a triple short of the cycle. Lemon went 3-for-6 with two RBIs, Cellini was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and both Godfrey and Smith collected a pair of RBIs.
The Eagles, now 4-3 all-time against LCSC, will continue their series against the Warriors with a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. (PDT).
