CALDWELL, Idaho –
Mason Stidham and
Kaleb Price combined on the first College of Idaho no-hitter in 58 years, as the Coyotes remained unbeaten on the season with a doubleheader sweep of Minot State at Wolfe Field.
Game Two Boxscore,
Game Three Boxscore The historic gem propelled the Yotes (7-0) to 13-10 and 13-0 victories – their best start since the 2006 season.
Stidham allowed just two base runners in six innings – a hit by pitch in the second and a walk in the fifth – while Price walked two men and had a third reach via an error, as the duo logged C of I's first no-no since Bob Perkins blanked Boise State during the 1958 season.
The Yote defense helped the cause, as
Bobby Wright started a dandy inning-ending double play in the second;
Johnny Hyland stopped a smash by Caleb Fornshell in the third; and
Dalton Ridgway made a diving catch on a Sal Rodriguez liner in center in the fourth.
C of I opened the scoring in the second, as Hyland lined an RBI single up the middle to plate
Devon Pogue, who had reached on a one-out single. The lead would build to 3-0 in the fifth, taking advantage of a two-base error on a possible double play ball, setting up a
Cole Mansanerez two-run double.
The Coyotes broke the game open against the Beavers (0-3) bullpen – stringing four hits together in the sixth, including run-scoring singles from
Sam Grise and Ridgway and a two-run single from
Hunter Hanson. In the eighth, C of I batted around for six runs, capitalizing on two walks and two hit-by-pitches – with Grise doubling home a run and Wright roping a two-run double.
Ridgway, Grise and
Zach Cooper all had two hits for the Yotes, with MSU starter Lane Briggs fanning seven batters in a losing cause.
Game 1 was a slugfest, as the Coyotes built a 10-2 lead after five innings, but had to hold on for the victory.
Hanson clocked a two-run double in the third, breaking a 1-1 tie, adding a two-run single an inning later that extended the lead to 8-2. MSU would claw back into the game, as Rodriguez hit a two-run homer in a big fifth inning that brought the visitors within 10-7. However, C of I got two key insurance runs in the seventh and another in the eighth – with Wright getting the final three outs to cap the victory.
Riley O'Brien got the win for the Yotes, allowing four hits and striking out five in five strong innings, while
Drew Klassen worked out of an inherited bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth inning. Ridgway finished 4-for-4 with three runs scored and a pair of RBI; Mansanerez, Pogue and
Mitch Skaggs each had three of C of I's 17 hits; with Hanson driving in four.
Kyle Williamson was 4-for-4 with two RBI in the loss for MSU.
The two teams close out the four-game series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. single game.
