CALDWELL, Idaho – A ninth inning rally in Game 1 and a seven-run first inning in Game 2 helped Concordia University to a key NAIA West sweep of the College of Idaho at Wolfe Field.
The Cavaliers (25-19, 15-7) earned a come-from-behind 3-2 victory in the opener, and then scored all of their runs in the opening three innings and rode a dominant start from Jason Snodgrass in a 10-0 victory in the night cap.
Game 1 was a pitchers' duel between the Yotes (28-21, 10-12) Kyle Garvin and the Cavs Ryan McMonigle – each recording a quality start.
C of I scratched across a run in the first on a Jordan Grubbs sacrifice fly, but CU pulled even in the fourth on an RBI ground out from Konner Reddick.
An inning later, Jake Hennessey gave the Coyotes the lead back with an RBI double, only to watch the Cavs tie the game in the eighth on a Reddick RBI single; taking the lead in the ninth when Trent Calmer was hit by a pitch, sacrificed to second, and scoring on a Jarren Goddard RBI single.
Austin Hadley struck out two of the three he faced in the ninth for his ninth save. McMonigle struck out eight in the win, with Calmer going 3-for-3.
Garvin was the tough-luck loser, working around 11 hits and three runs. Hennessey had three hits, with Chase Miller, Zach Fabricius, and Sam Grise each recording a pair.
CU left no doubt in Game 2, sending 13 men to the plate, scoring seven times in the first to blow the contest open. At one stretch, seven straight Cavs reached base – with Adam Taylor driving in two runs with a base hit, with Blake Evetts, Hunter Weiss, and Calmer all added RBI singles.
The early run support helped Snodgrass, who retired the first 12 in a row and took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. The right-hander settled for a two-hit shutout, striking out five, for his fifth win.
Evetts was 3-for-4 with two RBI, with Nate Esposito, Elliot North, and Calmer all recording two hits – part of a 15-hit Concordia effort.
Brady Mooney and Grubbs had the two C of I hits, with the highlight coming from Brady Winfield, who tossed four-plus innings of shutout relief.
The two teams close out the four-game series with an 11 a.m. doubleheader, with C of I honoring their nine senior student-athletes between games.
