CALDWELL, Idaho –
Zach Draper struck out 11 batters in six one-hit innings, as three College of Idaho pitchers combined to fan 16 men in a 14-0 victory over Minot State at foggy Wolfe Field.
Box Score The Coyotes (5-0) scored runs in the first three frames, taking advantage of 11 MSU walks and three errors in the lopsided win. The C of I hurlers struck out at least one batter in every inning, recording the most strikeouts since five pitchers combined to fan 19 batters in an identical 14-0 win over Lewis & Clark in 2006.
Draper did not allow a runner tp reach third base, with Jordan Schulz breaking up the no-hit bid with a sharp single to right in the fourth inning. The lefty walked two and hit a man in picking up his second win of 2016.
C of I jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on a long two-run blast from
Mitch Skaggs, adding a pair in the second on a
Dalton Ridgway RBI ground out and a
Seth Champlin two-out RBI double. Run scoring singles by
Johnny Hyland in the third and fifth innings extended the margin to 6-0.
The Yotes broke the game wide open in the sixth, batting around for six runs – taking advantage of five walks and an error in the frame.
Hunter Hanson chopped an RBI single, with
Bobby Wright and Hyland both delivering sacrifice flies in the rally. C of I capped the scoring with RBI singles by
Devon Pogue and Ridgway in the eighth.
Hanson, Hyland and
Sam Grise all had two hits for the Yotes, with
Cole Mansanerez scoring four runs.
Niall Manning struck out four in two innings of relief, with
Drew Klassen working around an infield single in the ninth.
Schulz went 2-for-3 for the Beavers (0-1), with starter Tanner Alexander lasting four innings, allowing five runs on seven hits, striking out four.
The middle games of the four-game series are tomorrow, with the doubleheader set for 11 a.m.
NOTES: The game was delayed by 58 minutes from the outset due to fog; the 11 strikeouts by Draper were the most by a Coyote since Jason Roach struck out 12 batters vs. Corban in 2007.
