Walker turns in gem as BU eliminates host L-C State

Box Score
World Series Bracket

LEWISTON, Idaho -- Colton Walker turned in a six-hit, two-run outing to pitch the ninth-seeded Bellevue University baseball team past No. 10-seed Lewis-Clark State 4-2 at Harris Field on Monday at the 2019 Avista NAIA World Series.

Records:

#21 Bellevue: 48-15
(RV) Lewis-Clark State: 35-15-1

Recap: Bellevue 4, Lewis-Clark State 2

After allowing a leadoff walk and first inning run, Bruin starter Colton Walker did not allow another run until the ninth inning.

The biggest momentum swing of the game came in the bottom of the fourth inning. With a 1-0, lead L-C State put runners on the corner after a dropped third strike but Walker was able to shimmy out of trouble with a pair of infield pop ups and a fly ball.

BU saw that momentum carry over to their bats in the next half inning. Stuart Eurich led off the frame with a base hit to center field and Wataru Kazama followed with a walk, before Eurich and Kazama pulled off a double steal to put runners on second and third with no outs. Tanaka then singled to left-center to chase in both runners and give the Bruins a 2-1 lead.

The score remained 2-1 until the eighth inning when BU got some insurance. Consecutive singles from Riley Baasch and Austin Alexander opened the inning before a sac bunt from Eurich moved them up 90 feet. Kazama then dropped a perfectly executed squeeze bunt to score Baasch before Alexander came home on an opposite field single by Tanaka.

Walker, who got the win over York to send BU to the World Series, limited L-C State to just four hits after Kyle Callahan plated the first run of the game with a two-out single in the first until Kody Garvin homered over the batter's eye in center field to lead off the ninth.

Baasch continued his strong showing at the World Series with his second-straight three-hit game. He is now 8-15 (.533) with a pair of runs scored and five RBI through three games in Lewiston.

After going hitless in the Bruins' first two games, Tanaka had a pair of hits in five trips to the plate on Monday as he drove in three runs on the day.

Walker (7-2) earned the win with his second complete game effort of the season. He struck out seven batters and walked just three.

Gerald Hein (4-2) took the loss despite not allowing an earned run in 4.2 innings of work. He was charged with allowing a pair of unearned runs on five hits.

Up Next:

Bellevue advances to play another elimination game on Tuesday, May 28 against the loser of the 1-5 game between No. 2-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan and No. 4-ranked Georgia Gwinnett. First pitch for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Lewis-Clark State is eliminated from the Avista NAIA World Series and sees their season end with a final record of 35-15-1.