CALDWELL, Idaho – Pitching dominated the afternoon, as the College of Idaho swept a doubleheader from Oregon Tech at Wolfe Field, handing skipper
Shawn Humberger his 500th career win in the process.
Zach Draper tossed eight innings of one-hit ball in a Coyotes (17-7, 5-3 NAIA West North) 3-0 victory in the opener, while
Jake Eddy struck out nine in a 7-3 victory in the late game.
The Game 1 win gave Humberger win No. 500 – becoming just the second C of I coach in any sport to eclipse the 500 win mark – joining his predecessor, Tim Mooney, in the elite club.
Draper dominated the opener, throwing just 79 pitches in his eight inning stint, allowing only a Michael Moorhead fifth inning single, and striking out four to earn his staff-high fifth win.
Owls (8-16, 1-6) starter Tyler Bennett matched Draper through the first six innings, but C of I broke through in the seventh, as
Bobby Wright lined an RBI single into center. The Yotes would tack on a pair in the eighth, as
Dalton Ridgway chopped a two-run single through the left side to help his own cause – as the righty got the final three outs for his first save.
Jake Hennessey was 2-for-3 in the win for the Yotes – the lone player on either team with multiple hits.
Tech opened Game 2 quickly, loading the bases in the first with no outs – but scored just one run, as a double play ball brought in a run, but an inning ending ground out limited the damage. Eddy settled down from there – allowing three total runs on five hits with nine strikeouts in the victory.
The Yotes evened the score in the bottom of the first when
Hunter Hanson walked, moved to second on a wild pitch, stole third and scored on a
Mitch Skaggs infield out.
C of I broke the game open in the fifth – a Wright singled home a run, a second run scoring on
Cole Mansanarez fielders' choice, and a pair scoring when Skaggs beat out a would be double play ball.
After OIT got within 5-3 in the sixth, the Yotes added single runs in the seventh and eighth – with
Seth Champlin leading off with a double and scoring on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Nate Hundley scoring on a wild pitch in the eighth. Ridgway went the final two innings for his second save of the day, retiring all six batters he faced.
Both Champlin and
Jake Bowman had two hits for the Yotes, with Skaggs driving in three runs.
Ryan Grant had two hits for OIT, with starter Evan Johnson striking out six batters in five innings of work.
The two teams close out the series with a doubleheader tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.
