LSUS drops second World Series game to nation’s No. 1 05/25/03

Pilots record rare triple play
in bottom of seventh inning

(Box Score)

(NAIA News Release)

The Oklahoma City Stars, No. 1 in the nation all season in the NAIA rankings, proved to be too much for the LSUS Pilots Saturday night and Sunday morning in the Pilots’ second NAIA World Series game. The Stars’ powerful lineup scored runs in every inning after a 1-hour-27-minute rain delay in the top of the third inning.

Well after 2 a.m. Sunday, the game wound its way through the top of the ninth, ending with the Stars taking a 13-5 win to the next round in the winners’ bracket. But, not before the Pilots recorded a rare triple play in the bottom of the seventh. Left fielder Cole Reynolds caught a fly ball in foul territory with the bases loaded for the first out, threw to Ben Wingerter at third who relayed the ball to Miguel Hernandez to catch the runner coming back to first, and finally back to Wingerter to nail the runner caught off third base.

LSUS played Oklahoma City scoreless until the rain delay, which came with two outs in the top of the third inning. The Stars scored twice in the bottom of the third, but the Pilots came right back to take the lead with three runs in the top of the fourth. The Stars answered with four in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead for good. Pilots crossed the plate once in the fifth and sixth innings, but the Stars “one-upped” the Pilots in each frame, scoring 1, 3, 2 and 1 runs in the fifth through eighth innings.

The game gave Oklahoma City its 60th win of the season(60-6-1), while LSUS’ record moved to 50-23.

The Pilots play Spaulding (Kentucky) University at 2 p.m. (CDT) Monday. Oklahoma City plays Bellvue (Nebraska) at 5:30 p.m. Monday.

Play-By-Play (Courtesy 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; 29/p Welch;

Oklahoma City starters: 27/rf Ledbetter; 7/c Houston; 34/1b Kaye; 25/cf Himes; 4/dh Sanguinetti; 16/lf Williams; 12/ss Marlett; 9/2b Tuberville; 19/3b Tapp; 23/p Hendley;

LSUS 1st - Reynolds singled to center field (0-1). Gray flied out to rf (0-0). Arishenkoff flied out to lf (0-1). Reynolds out at second p to 1b to ss, caught stealing. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Oklahoma City 1st - Ledbetter flied out to cf (0-0). Houston walked (3-0). Perry pinch ran for Houston. Perry stole second. Kaye fouled out to c (1-1). Himes struck out looking (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 2nd - Houston to c for Perry. McManis walked (3-2). McRae struck out (1-2). McManis stole second. Morben struck out looking (0-2). McManis stole third. Hernandez struck out looking (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Oklahoma City 2nd - Sanguinetti struck out looking (1-2). Williams walked (3-0). Marlett doubled down the lf line (0-0); Williams advanced to third. Tuberville grounded out to 3b (0-0). Tapp grounded out to ss (2-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

LSUS 3rd - Wingerter lined out to cf (3-2). Branch grounded out to 3b (0-0). Reynolds walked (3-0). Gray flied out to rf (0-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Oklahoma City 3rd - Ledbetter walked (3-2). Houston singled to right field (1-1); Ledbetter advanced to second. Perry pinch ran for Houston. Kaye struck out looking (0-2). Himes struck out (2-2). Perry advanced to second on a wild pitch; Ledbetter advanced to third. Sanguinetti singled up the middle, advanced to second on the throw, 2 RBI (1-2); Perry scored; Ledbetter scored. Williams flied out to cf (0-1). 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 4th - Houston to c for Perry. Arishenkoff flied out to rf (3-2). McManis singled up the middle (0-1). McRae singled to left field (0-1); McManis advanced to second. Gibbons pinch ran for McRae. Morben reached on a fielder's choice (1-2); Gibbons advanced to second on a fielding error by 3b; McManis advanced to third. Hernandez singled to right field, RBI (1-2); Morben advanced to second; Gibbons advanced to third; McManis scored. Hernandez advanced to second on a wild pitch; Morben advanced to third; Gibbons scored, unearned. Wingerter walked (3-0). Branch walked, RBI (3-2); Wingerter advanced to second; Hernandez advanced to third; Morben scored. Reynolds infield fly to 3b (1-0). Gray reached on a fielder's choice (2-0); Branch out at second ss to 2b. 3 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 LOB.

Oklahoma City 4th - McRae to c for Gibbons. Marlett fouled out to lf (3-1). Tuberville doubled to right center (0-0). Tapp hit by pitch (0-0). Ledbetter doubled down the rf line, ground-rule, RBI (0-1); Tapp advanced to third; Tuberville scored. Houston walked (3-2). Perry pinch ran for Houston. Kaye flied out to cf, SF, RBI (0-0); Tapp scored. Himes tripled to right field, 2 RBI (0-1); Perry scored; Ledbetter scored. Sanguinetti lined out to ss (0-1). 4 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 5th - Houston to c for Perry. Arishenkoff homered to center field, RBI (1-1). McManis struck out looking (2-2). McRae hit by pitch (1-1). Gibbons pinch ran for McRae. Frye pinch hit for Morben. Frye grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b (1-2); Gibbons out on the play. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Oklahoma City 5th - McRae to c for Gibbons. Frye to rf. Williams struck out (2-2). Marlett singled through the left side (3-1). Tuberville flied out to rf (0-0). Marlett advanced to second on a balk. Tapp singled to center field, RBI (2-1); Marlett scored. Ledbetter singled up the middle (0-1); Tapp advanced to second. Houston popped up to 2b (2-1). 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

LSUS 6th - Hernandez grounded out to 2b (3-2). Wingerter doubled to right center (0-0). Branch walked (3-2). Branch advanced to second; Wingerter out at third p to 3b, caught stealing. Reynolds singled through the right side, RBI (1-0); Branch scored. Gray walked (3-2); Reynolds advanced to second. Stephens to p for Hendley. Arishenkoff out at first 1b to p (1-1). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Oklahoma City 6th - Kaye doubled to center field (0-0). Himes struck out (3-2). Sanguinetti singled through the left side (0-2); Kaye advanced to third. Williams homered to right field, 3 RBI (2-1); Sanguinetti scored; Kaye scored. Alexander to p for Welch. Marlett struck out, out at first c to 1b (0-2). Tuberville singled to third base, bunt (0-1). Tuberville stole second. Tapp struck out (2-2). 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 7th - McManis struck out (3-2). McRae grounded out to 2b (1-2). Frye grounded out to 3b (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Oklahoma City 7th - Ledbetter singled up the middle (0-1). Houston singled through the left side (0-0); Ledbetter advanced to second. Perry pinch ran for Houston. Kaye singled through the right side, RBI (0-0); Perry advanced to second; Ledbetter scored. Himes walked (3-1); Kaye advanced to second; Perry advanced to third. Sanguinetti flied into triple play lf to 3b to 1b to 3b, SF, RBI (3-1); Himes out on the play; Kaye out on the play; Perry scored. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

LSUS 8th - Houston to c for Perry. Hernandez grounded out to 3b (1-2). Wingerter singled through the left side (1-2). Branch flied out to lf (0-0). Reynolds struck out, out at first c to 1b (2-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

Oklahoma City 8th - Williams struck out (2-2). Marlett homered to center field, RBI (2-0). Lewis to p for Alexander. Tuberville singled to right field (1-1). Epping pinch hit for Tapp. Epping struck out (2-2). Balster pinch hit for Ledbetter. Balster flied out to lf (0-2). 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

LSUS 9th - Ledbetter to rf for Balster. Tapp to 3b for Epping. McCormick to p for Stephens. Gibbons pinch hit for Gray. Gibbons grounded out to 1b unassisted (0-0). Crossley to p for McCormick. Fletcher pinch hit for Arishenkoff. Fletcher struck out, out at first c to 1b (1-2). Je McLaughln to p for Crossley. Dupree to dh for McManis. Dupree fouled out to 1b (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.