Eagles Continue GSAC Climb, Down Hawks, 6-3
Box Score
(3/12/08 - Baseball) LAKESIDE - The Concordia offense gifted defending GSAC Pitcher of the Year Enrique Lechuga a five-run lead, which was more than enough to help the Eagles to a 6-3 win over host San Diego Christian, Wednesday afternoon in Golden State Athletic Conference play.
Lechuga (5-1) allowed three runs (two earned) on seven hits in seven innings of work, walking one while striking out one. Cameron Bayne came on for the final two innings and did not allow a hit while fanning four to pick up his first save with the Eagles. The win helps the Eagles climb to within 3.5 games of third place in the GSAC, though there are six teams separated by that slim margin.
The Eagles tallied twice in the 2nd inning to give Lechuga a cushion for the 2nd-straight start. His last time out, the team posted five runs in the 1st inning at Vanguard en route to a 7-0 shutout. Four-straight singles by Matt Ross, Scooter Hendrickson, Nathan Dean and Bayne plated the first run of the frame. A double play grounder kept Beau Poteet from claiming an RBI, but it did give the Eagles a second run.
In the 4th, Scooter Hendrickson drew a one-out walk, then Dean laced a double into the left field gap to send pinch-runner Edgar Guillen over to third. Bayne hit a fly ball deep enough to right field for Guillen to scurry home for a 3-0 lead.
The Eagles tacked on two more runs in the 5th inning thanks to RBI-hits from Cody Kissell and Ross, but the Hawks finally got to Lechuga with a pair of runs in their half of the inning. Bryan Kobara took care of the scoring with a two-out, two-RBI triple to trim the lead back to 5-3.
An error cost Lechuga an unearned run in the 6th inning, but the Eagles came back to restore his three-run cushion with a final tally in the 7th inning. Kissell roped a two-out double to left that allowed Mike Gonzalez, who had led off with a walk, to race around and score.
Garrett Lingle took the loss for San Diego Christian (11-9, 7-8 GSAC), allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits in seven innings while walking two and striking out four.
Dean, Ross and Kissell each had two hits for the Eagles of a nine-hit attack. Gonzalez and Guillen each scored twice while Ross had an RBi and scored a run.
Concordia (7-8, 6-7 GSAC) is back home this Saturday, March 15 to host California Baptist in a GSAC doubleheader starting at 12:00 p.m.