CALDWELL, Idaho – Mitch Viydo had a three hit afternoon, helping the College of Idaho to an NAIA West Grouping doubleheader split with Simpson University at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes (21-13, 5-5) rallied from an early deficit to win Game 1, 4-2, but stranded 14 men and were 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position, as the Redhawks stole Game 2, 5-2.
SU (12-23, 2-8) stormed out to a 2-0 lead after two innings of the opener, getting a Dylan Mumford RBI single in the first and a two-out George Chechetti RBI base hit in the second.
The Yotes chipped away at the deficit, as a Jordan Grubbs sacrifice fly in the third cut the lead in half, tying the game in the fourth when Luke Tessman bobbled a sharp single into right by Matt Hamilton, allowing Chase Miller to score from second. Viydo followed with a single through the left side to give C of I their first lead. An inning later, Miller roped a run-scoring single to right to extend the lead to 4-2.
Zach Fabricius allowed just one hit after the third inning, finishing one out shy of a complete game, limiting the Redhawks to just six hits and striking out five. Russell Sweet got the final out to record his first collegiate save.
Seven different Coyotes had one hit in the win, with six different SU players recording one hit.
James Humphrey and Jacob Parent led the Redhawks in Game 2, working out of jam after jam – leading SU to just their second all-time win over the Yotes. Humphrey worked around six walks and five hits in six innings for his first win, with Parent allowing just one run over three innings for his second save.
The Redhawks took a 1-0 lead in the first on a Matthew Kiyota single, but the Yotes evened the game in the third when Fabricius walked with the bases loaded.
While the Yotes squandered chances, SU cashed in with four sixth inning runs. A one out Dylan Mumford triple ended a string of 10 straight batters retired by the Yotes Markus Lively. Elden Whisman followed with an RBI double to left, with Kurtis Huffman driving in a run with a single – part of the four run rally.
C of I would get a run back in the eighth on a Troy Carr sacrifice fly, could not get closer.
Grubbs and Viydo each had two hits for the Yotes, with Casey Meyer going 4-for-5 for SU. Lively went the distance in the loss, allowing 12 hits and striking out five.
The two teams close the four game series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
