Athletics

LSUS Pilots advance to Final Four in NAIA World Series

May 27, 2003

Junior pitcher Gene Stevens pitched his second complete game of the NAIA World Series Tuesday as the LSUS Pilots thrashed No. 2 seed Embry-Riddle Eagles, 14-4, and advanced to the Final Four in the tournament.

The Pilots will play again Wednesday against No. 1 seed Oklahoma City, with the time -- either 5:30 or 9:30 p.m. (CDT) -- to be determined by the tournament games committee. LSUS and Oklahoma City are joined in the final four by Bellevue (Neb.) and Lewis-Clark State College, who will play in the other Wednesday game. Oklahoma City and Lewis-Clark were to play the nightcap Tuesday.

The Pilots had a huge second inning, scoring eight runs off six hits and sending 13 batters to the plate. Designated hitter Thomas McManis, one of four players to step to the plate twice in the inning, struck out to start the second, but came back in his second appearance to blast a three-run homer over the right center field wall. First baseman Miguel Hernandez and shortstop Tyson Arishenkoff recorded 2 RBI and third baseman Ben Wingerter had the eighth RBI.

The Pilots spread their other six runs evenly over the remaining seven innings, scoring two runs in the fifth, eighth and ninth innings. Had it not been the ninth inning when LSUS scored its final two runs, the game would have ended under a second 10-run "mercy rule" win for the Pilots, who defeated Indiana Tech 11-1 in their first game of the tournament.

LSUS scored its 14 runs on 16 hits and had one fielding error. Embry-Riddle, of Daytona Beach, Fla., had 4 runs on 8 hits and one error.

The win marked the third time in as many weeks that the Pilots defeated the Eagles, ranked No. 4 in the NAIA polls coming into the World Series. The Pilots won the best-of-three series from Embry-Riddle to gain the invitation to the NAIA's version of "The Show."

Play-by-Play (Courtesy of NAIA World Series)

LSUS starters: 25/lf Reynolds; 16/2b Gray; 41/ss Arishenkoff; 18/dh McManis; 33/c McRae; 24/rf Morben; 44/1b Hernandez; 14/3b Wingerter; 19/cf Branch; 15/p Stevens;

Embry-Riddle (FL) starters: 11/cf Croley; 5/ss D'Antonio; 17/dh Rojas; 37/lf Smith; 30/3b Clifford; 4/2b Lewis; 27/1b Cocolin; 23/rf Davis; 22/c Poole; 31/p Murphy;

LSUS 1st - Reynolds flied out to cf (1-0). Gray walked (3-1). Arishenkoff grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b (0-0); Gray out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 1st - Croley singled through the left side (2-2). D'Antonio struck out, bunt (0-2). Rojas hit by pitch (0-0); Croley advanced to second. Smith hit by pitch (1-2); Rojas advanced to second; Croley advanced to third. Clifford reached on a fielder's choice, RBI (0-0); Smith out at second ss to 2b; Rojas advanced to third; Croley scored. Clifford out at second c to 2b to 1b to ss, caught stealing; Rojas scored. 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

LSUS 2nd - McManis struck out (1-2). McRae walked (3-0). Gibbons pinch ran for McRae. Gibbons advanced to second on a wild pitch. Morben walked (3-1). Hernandez doubled down the lf line, 2 RBI (2-1); Morben scored; Gibbons scored. Wingerter singled up the middle, RBI (0-0); Hernandez scored. Branch popped up to 2b (0-0). Reynolds singled to right field (0-0); Wingerter. Gray walked (3-0); Reynolds advanced to second. Butler to p for Murphy. Arishenkoff singled, advanced to second on the throw, 2 RBI (0-1); Gray advanced to third; Reynolds scored; Wingerter scored. McManis homered to right center, 3 RBI (1-1); Arishenkoff scored; Gray scored. McRae to c for Gibbons. McRae singled to third base, bunt (0-0). Gibbons pinch ran for McRae. Gibbons out at first p to 1b, picked off. 8 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 2nd - McRae to c for Gibbons. Lewis singled to second base (1-2). Cocolin walked (3-0); Lewis advanced to second. Davis grounded out to p, SAC, bunt (0-0); Cocolin advanced to second; Lewis advanced to third. Poole singled through the left side, RBI (0-2); Cocolin advanced to third; Lewis scored. Greer pinch ran for Poole. Croley grounded into double play ss to 1b (1-0); Greer out on the play. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 3rd - Murphy to c for Greer. Morben fouled out to 1b (0-0). Hernandez grounded out to 2b (0-1). Wingerter walked (3-1). Branch reached on a fielder's choice (2-0); Wingerter out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 3rd - D'Antonio grounded out to 2b (0-0). Rojas singled to right field (0-0). Smith grounded out to 2b (0-0); Rojas advanced to second. Clifford grounded out to ss (1-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 4th - Reynolds singled to shortstop (2-1). Reynolds stole second. Gray singled to third base, bunt (2-1); Reynolds advanced to third. Arishenkoff reached on a fielder's choice (0-1); Gray out on the play; Reynolds out on double play 1b to c to 3b to ss. McManis grounded out to ss (1-1). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 4th - Lewis struck out (3-2). Cocolin grounded out to 3b (2-2). Davis struck out looking (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

LSUS 5th - McRae grounded out to 1b unassisted (0-0). Morben reached on a fielding error by 3b (0-2). Hernandez reached on a fielder's choice (0-1); Morben out at second 2b to ss. Wingerter doubled down the rf line, RBI (0-0); Hernandez scored, unearned. Branch singled to left field, RBI (0-0); Wingerter scored, unearned. Branch stole second. Reynolds walked (3-1). Anderson to p for Butler. Gray struck out (0-2). 2 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 5th - Murphy lined out to 2b (2-1). Croley grounded out to 3b (2-1). D'Antonio singled through the left side (0-0). D'Antonio advanced to second on a wild pitch. Rojas walked (3-1). Smith reached on a fielding error by 2b (0-1); Rojas advanced to third; D'Antonio scored, unearned. Clifford flied out to rf (0-0). 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.

LSUS 6th - Arishenkoff popped up to ss (0-1). McManis singled to left field (2-2). McRae flied out to rf (1-1). Morben grounded out to 3b (3-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 6th - Lewis grounded out to 3b (2-2). Cocolin grounded out to 2b (1-1). Davis singled to right center (0-1). Greer grounded out to 3b (2-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 7th - Huff to 2b for Lewis. Poole to c for Murphy. Hernandez singled to shortstop (1-1). Wingerter out at first 1b to p (0-1); Hernandez advanced to second. Branch struck out (1-2). Hernandez out at second c to ss to 3b to 2b, picked off. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 7th - Croley doubled down the lf line (3-2). D'Antonio grounded out to ss (2-2). Rojas lined out to lf (3-2). Smith flied out to lf (2-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 8th - Reynolds walked (3-0). Gray grounded out to 3b (1-1); Reynolds advanced to second. Arishenkoff singled through the right side, RBI (2-0); Reynolds scored. Arishenkoff stole second. McManis grounded out to 2b (0-1); Arishenkoff advanced to third. Arishenkoff scored on a wild pitch. McRae grounded out to 2b (1-0). 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Embry-Riddle (FL) 8th - Clifford grounded out to 2b (1-0). Huff grounded out to ss (2-0). Cocolin grounded out to ss (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

LSUS 9th - Blass to p for Anderson. Frye pinch hit for Morben. Frye singled to center field (1-1). Ketchum pinch hit for Hernandez. Ketchum grounded out to 1b unassisted (0-1); Frye advanced to second. Lewis pinch hit for Wingerter. Lewis singled to left field, advanced to second on the throw (2-1); Frye advanced to third. Cox pinch hit for Branch. Cox grounded out to 1b unassisted, RBI (2-1); Lewis advanced to third; Frye scored. Gibbons pinch hit for Reynolds. Gibbons doubled to left field, RBI (1-2); Lewis scored. Fletcher pinch hit for Gray. Fletcher grounded out to 2b (0-0). 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Embry Riddle FL 9th - Reynolds to lf for Gibbons. Fletcher to 2b. Dupree to c for McRae. Frye to rf. Hernandez to 1b for Ketchum. Wingerter to 3b for Lewis. Branch to cf for Cox. Davis flied out to lf (0-1). Goettsch pinch hit for Poole. Goettsch singled up the middle (0-1). Croley grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b (1-0); Goettsch out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.