VANCOUVER, B.C. –
Seth Champlin and
Mitch Skaggs combined for five RBI in today's opener, while hitting the tying and go-ahead home runs in the eighth inning of Game 2, as the College of Idaho punched their ticket to the NAIA National Championships with a pair of victories at the NAIA West Championships inside Thunderbird Park.
The Coyotes (37-19) used a five-run sixth inning to eliminate Marymount California University in the morning game, 10-3, while using a three-run eighth inning rally to stun and eliminate Corban University, 3-1.
C of I will meet host British Columbia tomorrow at Noon (PDT) in the semifinal and would advance to the championship round to meet Lewis-Clark State with a victory.
The Yotes earned the NAIA West's second automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships Opening Round with their victory over Corban – as C of I is the lone remaining team that has not secured an NAIA playoff spot (Lewis-Clark State earns an berth to the AVISTA-NAIA World Series as the host school, while UBC earned the NAIA West's first bid to the Opening Round with their regular-season finish).
The 45-team Opening Round bracket will be unveiled on May 13, with the nine, five-team site tournaments to begin on May 17.
Corban (25-27) scratched across a sixth inning run on a Hayden Calvert single – the only blemish C of I starter
Joel Martin had on the day – working six and a third innings of six-hit ball, striking out six.
However, the Warriors Rilyn Lewchuk was better, taking a two-hit shutout into the eighth – looking for his third win of 2016 against C of I. After getting the first out of the frame, Champlin greeted him with a solo homer to left – his first long ball in 178 games as a Coyote – to tie the score. An out later, Skaggs belted his team-high 11th homer to left center to give the Purple and Gold a lead.
Hunter Hanson scored an insurance run on a Corban error to cap the rally.
Bobby Wright tossed a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his seventh save – equaling the C of I school record.
Earlier in the day, C of I used a 13-hit attack to topple the Mariners (15-25-1), the representative of the South Division.
After BCU took a 1-0 lead in the second on a Dylan McDonnell sacrifice fly, C of I scored two in the second and two in the third to take the lead for good. Skaggs ripped a two-out, two-run single in the second to make it 2-1, while an inning later,
Cole Mansanarez scored on a Mariners error and Champlin followed with a sacrifice fly.
C of I broke the game wide open in the sixth – loading the bases with no outs.
Dalton Ridgway was hit by a pitch to force in a run; Wright lifted a sacrifice fly;
Jake Hennessey lined a two-run double; and Champlin punched an RBI single through the left side.
It was more than enough offense for
Riley O'Brien, who allowed just three hits in six innings to earn the victory for C of I. Skaggs was 3-for-6, with Champlin, Mansanarez, Wright and Hennessey each recording two hits.
NOTES:
- C of I clinched their seventh trip to the NAIA National Championships and will be competing in the Opening Round for the third time – placing third in the Riverside Bracket in 2010, while winning the Azusa Bracket in 2012.
- The Coyotes have advanced to the NAIA World Series five times – in 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2012 – winning the national title in 1998 and finishing as national runners-up in 1999
NAIA West Schedule
Game 1 – Corban 9, Marymount 0
Game 2 – British Columbia 4, College of Idaho 3 (11 innings)
Game 3 – Lewis-Clark State 7, Corban 0
Game 4 – College of Idaho 10, Marymount 3 (Marymount eliminated)
Game 5 – Lewis-Clark State 3, British Columbia 0
Game 6 – College of Idaho 3, Corban 1 (Corban eliminated)
Game 7 – College of Idaho vs. British Columbia, Sunday, Noon (PT) (Loser Out)
Game 8 – Winner 7 vs. Lewis-Clark State, Sunday, 3 p.m. (PT)
Game 9 – Winner 8 vs. Loser 8 (if necessary), Monday, Noon (PT)
