LEWISTON, Idaho – There is nothing quite like opening night of the Avista NAIA World Series when the Warriors are playing, and the 2023 edition was no different. After the first full opening ceremonies and Parade of Champions since 2018, LC State Baseball, seeded ninth in the tournament, put on a show against eighth-seeded Indiana Wesleyan. The Warriors slugged their way to a 12-4 victory to back up a stellar start by Trevin Hope on the mound.
The Warriors scored first with two in the top of the opening frame. Carter Booth led the contest off with a single to right field and took third on an error. Sam Olsson drove in the game’s first run on a groundout and Charlie Updegrave doubled to keep the inning going. Isaiah Thomas drew a walk and Dominic Signorelli made it 2-0 with a base hit to right.
Hope fanned two in the bottom of the first to work around a leadoff walk and LC added on with four in the second.
Jakob Marquez drove a double to center to get things going and Leo Rivera walked to put two on. A single by Booth loaded the bases with no outs and Nick Seamons reached on an error that plated a run. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Olsson scored a run and kept the bases loaded before Upedgrave was hit by a pitch to make it 5-0. Thomas grounded into a double play, but a run scored to make it 6-0.
Hope struck out the side in order in the home half of the second and added another two in the third and fourth. IWU struck for its first hit of the game in the bottom of the fifth before putting a run on the board.
The Warriors pushed the margin to 7-1 in the seventh. Updegrave walked and went to third on a double by Signorelli. A base hit by Pu’ukani De Sa knocked in LC State’s seventh run of the game.
Greg Blackman came out of the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh and Thomas broke the game open in the top of the eighth. Olsson and Updegrave walked to put two on before Thomas blasted a three-run shot to right center. A bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Booth put LC ahead 11-1.
Bryson Spagnuolo got the ball in the eighth and the Wildcats struck for a pair on a two-run homer.
Updegrave added to the lead with a solo shot in the ninth and Spagnuolo closed the door in the 12-4 win.
Hope tied his career high with 11 strikeouts in his longest outing of the season. The sophomore tossed 6.1 innings and allowed only two hits. Blackman did not give up a hit in his two-thirds of an inning and Spagnuolo fanned two in two innings.
Signorelli led the Warrior offense with a 3-for-5 day at the plate and Thomas drove in three runs. Booth, Updegrave and Thomas also had multi-hit games.
UP NEXT
The Warriors take on top-seeded Southeastern (Fla.) for the second time this season on Saturday at approximately 6:35 p.m.
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