LEWISTON, Idaho – Kawika Emsley-Pai hit only his second home run of the season with two out in the last of the 9th inning, enabling the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors, ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, to escape with a 4-3 victory over the George Fox University Bruins in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday evening here at Harris Field. 

The game began as a tight pitchers' duel as the Warriors' Tyler Knigge and the Bruins' Mark Putney matched zeroes through the first five innings.  George Fox finally pushed across a run against Knigge in the 6th on a leadoff walk to Josh Burch and a one-out RBI double to left-center by Sam Stahl.  The Warriors answered in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff homer by Gino Casini, his third of the year, and a sacrifice fly later in the inning by Josh Ashenbrenner that scored Brian Gaylord.  

In the top of the 7th, the Bruins came back with two runs off reliever Henry Buenrostro (5-0).  Jason Brown led off with a single to left and Dan Witnerstein was safe when Buentrostro dropped his sacrifice bunt.  Seth Anderson singled to load the bases, and Burch delivered a two-run one-out single to put the Bruins ahead again 3-2.

Lewis-Clark State tied the game in bottom of the 7th, starting with singles by Brian Burke and Emsley-Pai that put runners at first and second.  Trent Bridges hit a fly to right-center which sent Connor Moore, pinch-running for Burke, to third.  Running on a 1-2 pitch, Emsley-Pai broke for second, and the Bruins threw the ball toward second, intercepted it, and threw it back home, but the throw was late as Moore scored on the double steal.

George Fox, which left 12 runners on base in the game, loaded the bases in the 9th on a walk to Burch, a single by Michael Woo, and an intentional walk to Brent Trask after Stahl had sacrificed the runners.  The final two Bruin batters went down on a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat.

Putney went 7.0 innings, struck out five, and surrendered three runs on six hits before giving way to Bruin closer Chad Jones (3-3) to start the 8th.  The right-hander cruised through an inning and two-thirds, striking out three, before he was stunned with the walk-off round-tripper to right-center by Emsley-Pai, the fifth time the Warriors have won in a walk-off this season but the first time on a home run.

Knigge threw 6.0 innings, struck five, and surrendered just one run and two hits before Buenrostro finished up, earning the win with 3.0 innings, striking out two, and surrendering two runs, one unearned.  Emsley-Pai and Jason Hague had two hits apiece for the Warriors, while Brown had two hits for the Bruins.   

George Fox, an NCAA Division III school, is now at 23-15 after dropping its last four. The victory extended Lewis-Clark State's winning streak to 13 games and improved its season record to 44-3.

The Bruins and the Warriors will meet again Wednesday at 3 p.m., closing out the regular season for both teams.  Fans who wish to listen to the game may find it on the internet at http://www.koze-sports.com/.  Live stats will also be provided by LCSC at http://yotestats.i8.com/lc/xlive.htm.