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Hope International University

BSB Lewiston Bracket Champions
Photo by Spencer Farrin
4
Wayland Baptist (TX) WBU 42-19
12
Winner Hope International HIU 46-8
Wayland Baptist (TX) WBU
42-19
4
Final
12
Hope International HIU
46-8
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Wayland Baptist (TX) WBU 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 4 8 1
Hope International HIU 3 0 1 2 0 4 2 0 X 12 11 1

W: Besio, Gio (2-0) L: T. House (2-2)

Game Recap: Baseball | | Robert Nilsen

Defending Champion Royals Defeat Pioneers to Punch Their Ticket Back to World Series

Lewiston, ID - The No. 4 Hope International University baseball team (46-8) punched their ticket back to the World Series for a chance to defend their title as they took down the No. 22 Wayland Baptist University Pioneers 12-4 to win the Lewiston Bracket of the NAIA Opening Round presented by Avista at Harris Field in Lewiston, ID on Wednesday evening.

Matthew Pinal got the start and pitched 4 2/3 innings allowing three runs on four hits while walking one and striking out seven. Gio Besio (2-0) picked up his second win in relief pitching two innings allowing one run on two hits while walking one and striking out one. Kyle Harvey led the Royals offense going 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs.

Pinal put the Pioneers down in order to start the first while the Royals jumped on top in the bottom of the first. With one on and one out Kyle Harvey ripped an RBI single through the left side to put the Royals up 1-0. Later in the inning with two outs Branden Chun-Ming ripped a two run single up the middle to increase the Royals lead to 3-0. The Pioneers looked for a response and finally snuck across a run in the top of the third to make it 3-1. The Royals would get the run back in the bottom of the third as a Julian Francois sac fly increased the Royals lead to 4-1. The Pioneers would pull a run back in the top of the fourth to make it 4-2 as David Shackelford ripped a two out RBI double in the bottom of the fourth to increase the Royals lead to 5-2. Harvey then followed with his second RBI of the game to put the Royals ahead 6-2.

The Pioneers would once again rally to cut the Royals lead to 6-3 in the top of the fifth and continued to threaten but Besio came in from the bullpen and got the Pioneers best hitter to popout and end the inning. The Pioneers would get a run back in the top of the sixth to make it 6-4 but the Royals offense wasn't finished as they broke open the game in the bottom of the sixth. The Royals would load the bases for Pinal who worked a bases loaded walk to increase the lead back to 7-4. Francois then ripped a two run single to right field followed by an RBI single from Colby Moran as the Royals pushed their lead to 10-4. 

The Pioneers looked to answer but the Royals tacked on two more runs with RBI groundouts from Harvey and Pinal to increase their lead to 12-4. Chaz McWilliams then came in from the bullpen to pitch the final 2 1/3 innings allowing just two hits while walking three and striking out five as he sealed the victory punching the Royals ticket back to the World Series. The Royals have now won eight straight games at Harris Field dating back to last year. 

The Royals advance to the Avista NAIA World Series for the third time in program history and will return to Lewiston, ID from May 23-31 to defend their title.




 
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