LEWISTON, Idaho – The IU Southeast baseball team stayed alive as one of the six remaining teams in the 2021 Avista NAIA World Series with a 9-7 win over Keiser University on Monday.
IU Southeast (50-15) had their chances early in the contest but could not score. The Grenadiers started 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. IU Southeast fell behind 1-0 after an inning when Mason Dinesen delivered an RBI single to center.
The Grenadiers had runners in scoring position in three of the first four innings but could not convert.
They tied the game in the fifth when Clay Woeste led off with a double and scored on a RBI groundout by Brody Tanksley.
The Grenadiers put the game out of reach with a four-run sixth inning and three-run seventh inning.
In the sixth, Woeste hit another double that scored Brandon Boxer and Ben Berenda. Daunte DeCello followed with a double to bring in Tyler Mills and Woeste and extend the lead to 5-1.
After the Seahawks got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, the Grenadiers put the pressure on once again.
Marco Romero singled and stole second and then he moved to third on a single by John Ullom, who then stole second.
A sacrifice fly by Berenda scored Romero. Jake Scott followed with a RBI single to bring in Ullom. Scott would later score when DeCello was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Grenadiers sent eight batters to the plate in the sixth and nine batted in the seventh.
Drew Hensley worked five and a third innings and allowed two runs on six hits while striking out three to move to 9-3 on the season.
The Seahawks (37-18) answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh. Erik Owen singled to short to score Niko Petrides and a two-run single by Mathew Catalfo cut the deficit to 8-5.
The Grenadiers got some insurance in the ninth when Andronico Recasas scored from third on a balk.
Keiser made another late rally when Tim Bouchard hit a two-run home run to center for his 17th home run of the season. Jacob Frankel recorded the final two outs for his sixth save.
Clay Woeste was on base five times with two doubles and three walks. He scored twice and drove in two. Daunte DeCello knocked in three and John Ullom, Jake Scott and Tyler Mills each had two hits.
The Grenadiers will play at 2 pm ET Tuesday with an opponent to be determined after the completion of play on Monday.
