CALDWELL, Idaho – Jesse Dodd went 5-for-8 with two doubles and Parker Vernon tossed seven strong innings, helping The College of Idaho split a doubleheader with Whitman College at Wolfe Field.
The Missionaries (5-5) ended an 18-game losing streak to the Yotes with a 10-1 win in Game 1, while the Yotes pounded out 15 hits in a 15-3 Game 2 win.
Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score
In the opener, the Whits took advantage of an untimely first inning error to plate four runs – with Aaron Cohen lining a two-run single into left, followed by a Jonny Lari two-run single up the middle. The Yotes (5-7) would get a run back in the second on a George Casper RBI single, but had just one runner reach third the rest of the way, as Justin Weeks limited The C of I to nine hits to earn the win.
Whitman blew the game open in the fifth, getting a pair of bases loaded walks, an RBI single from Cohen, and a two-run Kyle Buckham single to make it 9-1.
Cohen went 3-for-4 with four RBI, with Buckham, Ozzy Braff, and Casey Minnick each logging two hits for the Missionaries. Seth Champlin went 3-for-4 and Gregg Simonds went 2-for-3 for the Yotes, while reliever Tanner Lupton, despite giving up the five runs in the fifth, struck out nine.
In Game 2, the Missionaries grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second on an Eli Mathieu RBI single, but Vernon settled down, retiring 17 of the next 19 men he faced – earning his first victory of the year. The sophomore allowed just five hits, walked two, and struck out three.
The Yotes took the lead in the third, as with runners at first and second, Jarel Lewis beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt, with the wild throw to first allowing Seth Champlin to score the tying run. Dodd followed with a windblown RBI double to give The C of I the lead, and Vernon made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly.
Lewis made it 4-1 in the fourth with a seeing-eye RBI single up the middle and a Nick Muncy RBI double in the sixth pushed the lead to 5-1. The Yotes blew the game open in the late innings, scoring six times in the seventh – including RBI singles from Muncy, Lewis, Vernon, and Jake Hennessey, and a two-run single from Dodd, and adding four runs in the eighth.
Dodd went 4-for-5 with four RBI in the Game 2 win, with Muncy going 4-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Lewis added three hits and three RBI in the victory.
Cohen and Peter Carmichael each had two hits for Whitman.
The Coyotes hit the road next weekend to open NAIA West Grouping play with a weekend series at Simpson University.
