PORTLAND, Ore. — Lewis & Clark College baseball stormed back from an early four-run deficit Wednesday afternoon to beat Warner Pacific University 15-8 in a non-conference matchup at Jerry Gatto Field.

THE BASICS

Lewis & Clark 15, Warner Pacific 8
(Lewis & Clark 18-15)
(Warner Pacific 9-31)
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

The Pioneers tied their season high with 15 runs scored using a balanced offensive attack, led by junior Brandon Gonzaga, who drove in three runs on two hits, a sacrifice fly and a stolen base.

First-year Evan Carrubba-Rice and sophomore Gavin Mangano each finished with two RBI. Carrubba-Rice sent his first collegiate hit over the Clear Monster in right field for a two-run homer that gave Lewis & Clark the lead for good. Mangano capped off a six-run seventh inning with a two-RBI double to left field.

Seven Pioneer pitchers combined for nine strikeouts. Sophomore Shane Buchbinder got the start, while fellow sophomore Bret Potter earned his first collegiate win, pitching the sixth inning, striking out two, and allowing just one earned run. Senior Kyle Wilsie, sophomore Felix Gibeault (two strikeouts), and first-years Dillon Foster and Sam Burchi each pitched an inning with at least one strikeout, while sophomore Connor Broschard tossed two hitless innings with one strikeout. First-year Matt Stanislavsky, Foster, and Burchi joined Broschard in recording scoreless frames.

Lewis & Clark took advantage of six total Warner Pacific errors to score 13 runs across four innings. The Pioneers finished with 15 hits and recorded at least two runs in four consecutive frames, including a six-run seventh.
 
Trailing 4-0 entering the bottom of the second, Lewis & Clark began to rally when senior Will Heron hit a solo home run, his 13^th of the season, to left-center. Later in the inning, Gonzaga singled home Potter, cutting the deficit to 4-2.

The Pioneers claimed the lead in the fourth inning, capitalizing on two Warner Pacific errors. Potter and sophomore Eli Steinhaus scored on a sequence of miscues, and senior Brennen Davis advanced to third. Moments later, sophomore Michael Aikawa (two runs, three stolen bases) singled in Davis, putting the Pios ahead 5-4.
 
Gonzaga and Potter each collected RBI in the fifth to stretch the lead to 7-4. After Warner Pacific tied the game in the sixth, Lewis & Clark immediately responded. Aikawa drew a leadoff walk and stole second before Carrubba-Rice hit his first career-homer in his fourth collegiate at-bat to put the Pioneers up 9-7.

Lewis & Clark sent 10 batters to the plate in the seventh, adding six runs. Gonzaga drove in another run with a sacrifice fly, while Jacob Shannon-Wilkerson, Broschard and Mangano each collected RBI, extending the advantage to 15-7. Warner Pacific added a run in the ninth, but Gibeault ended the game with a strikeout.

BY THE NUMBERS 

• In two games against the Knights, Lewis & Clark has combined for 19 stolen bases. The seven stolen bags this afternoon are the second most in a game this season, behind last week's 12 swipes against Warner Pacific.
• Aikawa led the team with three stolen bases today, while Gonzaga, Shannon-Wilkerson, Potter and first-year Will Michelman each added one.
• Only seven of the Pioneers' 15 runs were earned due to Warner Pacific's six errors.
• Carrubba-Rice is the second Pioneer in just over a year whose first collegiate hit was a home run. Steinhaus hit a grand slam against Corban on April 4, 2024, also in his fourth collegiate at-bat.
• The Pioneers hit five doubles, with senior Justin Cavagnaro and sophomore Evyn Lewis joining Mangano, Potter and Michelman in hitting two-baggers.

WHO'S NEXT

Lewis & Clark travels to Salem on Friday for a Northwest Conference doubleheader against Willamette University. Game 1 is set for 3 p.m., with Game 2 scheduled to follow at approximately 6 p.m.