PHOENIX, Ariz. –
Jake Hennessey went 2-for-4 with three RBI and the College of Idaho pounded out 14 hits in an 11-6 victory over Arizona Christian at Firestorm Field.
Box Score The Yotes (2-0) jumped out to a 4-0 lead after three innings but needed a 5-run seventh inning rally to break a 6-6 tie to win their second game in a row.
Riley O'Brien worked around three hits in five innings of relief to earn his first win as a Coyote, striking out two.
C of I started quickly, as
Seth Champlin led off the game with a double and scored on a
Cole Mansanerez single for a 1-0 lead. Two innings later, the Yotes plated three runs after a two-out rally, loading the bases on a single and two walks, with Hennessey roping a two-run single and a third run scoring on a run down.
ACU (0-2) scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth on a Hector Ortiz single, but the Yotes answered in the fifth with a Mansanerez RBI double and a Hennessey run scoring single to take a 6-2 lead. The Firestorm pulled even in the bottom of the frame, as Tatum Hendrix lined an RBI single and Jake Howard was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to pull the ACU within 6-4. A double play ball scored a run, as did a wild pitch, to get the hosts all square at 6-6.
The Coyotes pulled away in the seventh, batting around for five runs – with
Mitch Skaggs breaking the tie with an RBI single and
Hunter Hanson scoring on a wild pitch to give C of I an 8-6 lead.
Bobby Wright lined a two-run single up the middle and
Zach Cooper singled home a run to push the margin to 11-6.
Champlin, Hanson, Hennessey and
Johnny Hyland all had two hits for the Yotes.
Joel Martin got the start, allowing four earned runs on nine hits in a no-decision.
Firestorm starter Andrew Mirasty allowed five earned runs on four hits in four-plus innings, surrendering three of ACU's six walks.
The two teams close out the four-game series tomorrow with a 9 a.m. doubleheader.
