LEWISTON, Idaho - For the fourth time in five days the Rogers State baseball team staged a come-from-behind upset victory at the Avista-NAIA World Series. This time the Hillcats rallied to defeat No. 2 Lee (Tenn.) ,7-5, at Harris Field on the campus of Lewis-Clark State to advance to the World Series championship game.
After falling behind 5-1 in the second inning, the Hillcats started their rally in the bottom of the fifth. Cade McKewon led off with a single up the middle and Keith Poverud followed with four-pitch walk. With one out, Eric Baker belted a double off the wall in left-center field to bring both runs home and cut the deficit to 5-3.
Poverud and Brandon Bargas belted consecutive singles to begin the seventh inning. Once again Baker delivered, this time with a two RBI double off the wall in left-center field to knot the game, 5-5. With one out, Colton Campbell traded places with Baker as he doubled to left field, allowing Baker to score the go-ahead run. Lance Rymel followed with an RBI single to left field and pushed the RSU lead to 7-5.
Relief pitcher Casey Cassity faced the minimum in the eighth. After issuing a leadoff walk in the ninth, he retired the next three batters to end the game, securing the win. The left-handed pitcher faced the minimum in four out of the six innings he pitched while allowing just three base runners. He sprinkled two hit over six scoreless innings with one walk while fanning one. Cassity's last appearance came on April 17 as he tossed three innings in relief against Oklahoma Wesleyan and earned the win.
Eric Baker belted a leadoff triple to the right-center field gap in the bottom of the first to set the RSU single-season triples record with six on the season. Colton Campbell hit a one-out RBI single through the right side to score Baker and give RSU a 1-0 lead.
The RSU advantage was short-lived as the Flames knotted the game with one swing of the bat from Corey Davis who belted a leadoff home run in the top of the second. Roberto Duran slapped a single up the middle and Trevor Burgess followed with a two run blast over the center field fence. Blake Barber rounded out the scoring in the inning with a two-out, two RBI triple down the left field line as Lee took a 5-1 lead.
Baker led the Hillcats at the plate as he went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Colton Campbell, Rymel and Bargas tallied two hits apiece. Campbell registered two RBI and Rymel added one RBI.
Bargas started the game on the mound for the Hillcats on short rest and tossed three innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with two strikeouts.
Matt Passauer (2-1) was tagged with the loss as he toss one third inning and allowed two runs on two hits. Starter Jose Samayoa allowed five runs on seven hits with five strikeouts in six innings of work.
Rogers State (49-15) will play for the NAIA World Series title starting on either Thursday or Friday. No. 4-ranked Tennessee Wesleyan remains unbeaten in World Series play and will take on LSU-Shreveport at 8 p.m. CST. If LSUS wins the two teams will square off on Thursday in an elimination game and the Hillcats will receive a bye because they have not had one and the Championship game will be played Friday. If TWC defeats LSUS on Wednesday night the Hillcats will play the Bulldogs on Thursday and attempt to beat them twice to claim the title.
