LEWISTON, Idaho – In just their third season as a program, the Bushnell University baseball team has won the 2024 Cascade Collegiate Conference Baseball Tournament, presented by U.S. Bank, defeating No. 5 Lewis-Clark State College, 8-2, at Harris Field on Monday.
Bushnell (29-24), the four-seed, knocked off tournament host LC State for the second time in three days. The Warriors were undefeated at home entering the tournament, but the Beacons recorded a combined 31 hits over the two-game span against one of the top teams in the NAIA.
Jordan Wilson, who hit a grand slam in the seventh and has been with the team since the beginning, said, “All glory to God. My teammates all had great at-bats before me to put me in that position. They picked me up earlier in the game when I was struggling and Tommy had faith in me to come up big for my team. All season we have stuck to our process and no matter the opponent, we just continue to play Beacon baseball and the results speak for themselves.”
LC State (37-11) scored a pair of runs in the opening frame with the first crossing home on a double by Nick Seamons. Seamons scored on a ground out to make it a 2-0 advantage for the Warriors. Bushnell went on to hold LC scoreless the rest of the way.
A seven-run bottom of the seventh fueled the victory for the Beacons, highlighted by a grand slam off the bat of Wilson, his 14th homer of the season. Trailing 2-1, Reece Carganilla led off the frame with a double to left center before a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases, forcing a Warrior pitching change. Wilson sent his shot over the left field fence to give the Beacons a 5-2 lead.
Albert Jennings and Isaiah Hart followed with back-to-back singles and Jennings scored on a wild pitch. Cade Crist made it an 8-2 lead with a double to left, scoring Hart and Chase Nye to conclude the seven-run inning.
LC State led off the top of the ninth with a single before grounding into a double play. Trevor Hammond (7-3) wrapped up his 3.1 innings of relief with a strikeout to seal a storybook ending for the Beacons.
Max Chapman got the start for Bushnell, giving up two runs on six hits in four innings. Blake Stavros pitched a scoreless 1.2 innings in relief, allowing just two hits and Hammond finished off the game, giving up two hits over 3.1 innings of work.
Bushnell spread out its offense as eight players recorded a hit. Kyle Casperson, Wilson and Hart had two hits apiece.
LC State was led by three hits from Carter Booth and Jakob Marquez. Hiroyuki Yamada got the start, allowing one run on three hits in 3.2 innings pitched.
Up Next: Bushnell will travel to the 2024 NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round on May 13-16. The Beacons will learn their site during the selection show on Thursday, May 9 at 2:00 p.m. (PT). LC State will compete in the opening round at Harris Field in Lewiston, Idaho.