LEWISTON, Idaho - It took almost four months and more than 60 games apiece before No. 1 Faulkner and No. 3 Lee could settle a season-long debate - which Southern States Athletic Conference baseball power truly was the better team? The unbalanced league schedule prevented the two from playing in the regular season, and a SSAC tournament championship matchup earlier this month was rained out. Wednesday night, in the semifinal round of the Avista-NAIA World Series, the Eagles and Flames finally squared off.
And in the end, Faulkner left no doubt as to the answer.
The Eagles rode a strong pitching performance from Julian Esquibel and a pair of four-run innings to an impressive 8-4 victory here at Harris Field, allowing them to move within one win of the program's first NAIA national championship. Faulkner (55-11) is still unbeaten in the double-elimination tournament, and will face once-beaten Lewis-Clark State Thursday night at 8:30 central time in the championship round. An Eagles' win and the World Series title is secured, while a loss would force a winner-take-all matchup Friday night.
"Our team really wanted to play Lee, and we were really disappointed when the conference tournament game was rained out," said Esquibel, who allowed only five hits and didn't issue a walk in improving to 11-2 on the season. "Tonight's game kind of had double meaning for us - it was our conference championship game and another step to the main goal we have and that's to win the national championship.
"We also know this - we haven't won anything yet. We still feel like we have something to prove. We have one more game we have to win. If we do that, it should certainly convince everyone that we are the No. 1 team in the country."
The Eagles will have to beat the home-standing Warriors, who will be gunning for their 17th NAIA World Series title. Faulkner head coach Patrick McCarthy said he'd want it no other way, with his team going to battle Thursday night in front of what will certainly be a packed house of nearly 5,000 Lewis-Clark State fans, providing a perfect setting for championship baseball.
"To be the best you always want to beat the best," McCarthy said. "I think we beat one of the best teams in the country tonight, and now we have to beat another great team on their home field in front of thousands of fans. As a competitor, that's exactly the way you want it. You want to go head-on after it, and not get a break here or there with the bracket. We're excited about seeing how we stack up against one of the most tradition-rich NAIA programs in the nation."
Through five innings, Faulkner and Lee were involved in an epic pitching battle, with Esguibel and Flames' starter Myles Smith dominating opposing hitters. Lee supplied the only early run when Brandon Rader homered to left field in the bottom of the third inning - the first hit off of Esquibel - and heading to the top of the sixth the Flames clung to a 1-0 lead. Things quickly changed, however, with Faulkner sending nine batters to the plate in scoring four runs to build a lead it would not relinquish.
Catcher Zak Colby opened the inning with a walk, and was replaced by courtesy runner Brook Boudreaux. Luis Sanchez and Michael Cruz followed with singles to load the bases. Sergio Sanchez drove in the first run with a single to center, and David Bishop then coaxed a bases-loaded walk to put the Eagles on top 2-1. Cayleb Coker added another RBI single, and Esteban Paula knocked in another with a infield groundout to give Faulkner a 4-1 advantage.
The Flames battled back in their half of the sixth when, with two outs, catcher Danny Canela grounded a two-run single to right to pull Lee to within 4-3. The score stayed that way until the eighth, when Faulkner effectively slammed the door with another four-run uprising. Sergio Sanchez walked and with one out Coker stroked his second hit of the night. After a double steal, Dauris Holguin ripped a double into the gap in right-center field, scoring both base runners to push the lead to 6-3. With two outs, Antonio Kendrick walked, setting the stage for Colby's two-run double, which went to almost the exact same spot on the field as Holguin's had moments earlier.
The margin was now 8-3, and an unearned Lee run in the bottom of the eighth did little to derail Esquibel and the Eagles. The junior right hander from Vista, Calif., who threw 119 pitches and struck out eight, retired the side in the bottom of the ninth to end it. The loss finished Lee's season at 51-12 and ended the Flames' last visit to Lewiston and the Avista-NAIA World Series. Lee, which is moving its athletic program to the NCAA Division II level, made eight trips to this tournament but never was able to take home a national championship.
Colby, Coker and Sergio Sanchez each had two hits to power Faulkner's 10-hit attack, which also benefited from six walks issued by three Lee pitchers. Brady Renner scored two runs for the Flames and was the only Lee player with two hits on the night. Smith took the loss, and finished his season at 11-4.
"I've always tried to pitch the same way, and that's to throw strikes and let hitters get themselves out," Esquibel said. "If you can stay away from walks, it's much harder for teams to start rallies. Once Dauris and Zak got the big doubles in the eighth, I knew I had enough in the tank to close it."
McCarthy asked Esquibel after the eighth how he felt, and the response he received left no doubt about who he'd send out to finish it.
"Julien said, 'I'll bring it home coach,' and that's all I needed to hear," McCarthy said. "Despite being ranked No. 1, I feel our team has been under the radar a bit this week and all season, really. We know we still have a job to do, and these guys have found a way to grind it out. They understand what winning is all about, and that's to always be selfless out here. And we've played with a little chip on our shoulder, and I think that has helped us to get to this point.
"The job is not finished. We know the hardest part of climbing a mountain is that last stretch that gets you to the very top. We're not to the top yet. There's a big challenge waiting for us Thursday night."
