ATHERTON, Calif. – The College of Idaho recorded their 20th 30-win season in program history, closing out the regular-season with a doubleheader sweep at Menlo College.
The Yotes (31-24, 13-15 NAIA West) rallied for a 7-6 victory in Game 1, while outlasting the Oaks, 10-6, in the late game.
Jake Hennessey was 4-for-6 with four RBI in the twin bill, with Jordan Grubbs setting a C of I and NAIA West single-game record by drawing five of the Yotes 14 walks in Game 2. C of I secured the No. 5 seed in the NAIA West Grouping Championships, beginning Friday in Portland, Ore., and will meet Corban at 10 a.m. in
Hennessey got the Yotes started in Game 1, rapping a single to lead off the game – eventually scoring on a Cole Mansanerez RBI double – with a Mitch Viydo sacrifice fly making it 2-0.
A Mansanerez RBI single in the fourth made it 4-1 Coyotes, before the Oaks () rallied, getting a Wes Hoskins RBI single in the fifth and a Daniel Comstock three-run homer in the sixth, to take a one-run lead. C of I answered, taking advantage of three walks and a hit by pitch – scoring runs on infield RBI singles by Grubbs and Zach Fabricius and a bases-loaded walk to Matt Hamilton, to grab a 7-6 lead.
Joel Martin did the rest, retiring 9-of-10 batters he faced, to pick up his second save of the season. Starter Markus Lively went six strong innings for his fifth win of 2015.
Game 2 was a circus, as the Oaks played all 13 seniors on their roster at multiple positions – including reserve outfielder Ryan Coonan playing all nine positions in the game.
Menlo struck for three first inning runs against Viydo, but the righty settled down, allowing just one run on four hits in his final six innings of work. Brady Winfield got the final two outs for his second save of the season.
The Yotes offense picked him up, as Troy Carr stole home in the second; Hennessey lifted a sacrifice fly in the fourth; and Hamilton tied the game with an RBI double in the fifth.
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth, Mansanerez gave C of I the lead for good with a two-out, two-run double. Hennessey added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to make it 6-4, with the Yotes batting around for four runs in the ninth to put the game away.
