Result of the final day of the NAIA Baseball National Championship in Lewiston, ID, June 2.
Westmont 7, Lewis-Clark State 6
Parker O’Neil drew a bases-loaded walk with two out in the bottom of the eighth inning to win the game and Westmont’s first-ever national championship.
The decisive inning started with a ground out. Robbie Haw reached first on a throwing error, then went to second on a ground out. L-C State’s pitcher, Drake George, who entered the game in the third inning, was relieved by Greg Blackman. Ryan DeSaegher was intentionally walked, and replaced by a pinch runner, Paul Mezurashi. With Bryce McFeely at the plate, Haw and Mezcurashi executed a perfect double steal. McFeely drew a walk to load the bases, then O’Neil drew the walk for the winning run.
L-C State opened the scoring with a solo home run by Isaiah Thomas in the top of the second inning. Westmont answered with a two-RBI single by Liam Critchett. (Both teams have the Warriors nickname.) DeSaegher hit an RBI single in the bottom of the third, reached on a fielding error to bring in a run in the bottom of the fourth, and Westmont led 5-1.
L-C State got back in it with a three-run home run by Charlie Updegrave in the top of the fifth. Westmont added a run in the bottom of the sixth on a very unusual play. McFeely hit what should have been an inning-ending ground out to George on the mound. George probably could have just run the ball to first for the out. Instead, he made a not-very-good throw to first. It got by the first baseman. The right fielder backing him up made another error, and McFeely went all the way home.
Both teams made some defensive plays they would have liked to have back. L-C State was charged with five errors, resulting in three unearned runs. Westmont was charged with three errors. They only resulted in one unearned run, but they created a lot of additional work for reliever Gabe Arteaga, who came in with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, and runners on first and second. The first batter he faced, Pu’ukani De Sa, hit an a fly ball that should have ended the inning, but the shortstop, Haw, couldn’t see it. The ball landed on the ground, and a run scored. The next batter, Jakob Marquez, hit a ground ball at Haw that also should have ended the inning, but Haw bobbled it, another run scored, and the game was tied 6-6 going into the eighth inning.
Arteaga hit a batter to start the eighth inning, and gave up a hit by Updegrave with two outs. An error by the left fielder on the play advanced a runner to third, but the next batter flied out to end the inning. In the top of the ninth, Arteaga struck out a batter, walked a batter, then got two fly outs to end the game.
As was the case the previous night against Southeastern, Westmont’s pitchers got it done. Starter Chase Goddard went five innings, allowed four runs (three of them on Updegrave’s homer) on seven hits, struck out six. The first reliever, Aidan Holly, pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowed two hits, struck out three, and was charged with one earned run, the popup by De Sa. Arteaga pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowed zero runs on two hits, struck out two. He got the win.
L-C State starter Trevin Hope pitched only 2 1/3 innings, allowed two earned runs on seven hits, struck out three. George got the loss; he allowed four runs (two earned) on only two hits, struck out three. Blackman faced four batters; he struck out one, walked the other three.
L-C State out-hit Westmont 11-9. McFeely finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sam Olsson finished 3-for-5. Attendance: 4,498. Recap Box score
Thomas was selected the Most Valuable Player. Sam Glass of Taylor received the Charles Berry Hustle Award.
This was Westmont’s first title, and second appearance in the tournament. (The first appearance was last year.) It will be their last one for the forseeable future, because they are moving to Division II next year.