KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. –
Dominic Conigliaro combined for five hits,
Austin Van Horne drove in six runs and four College of Idaho pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts, as the Coyotes earned their second-straight NAIA West series win, sweeping a doubleheader from Oregon Tech at Kiger Stadium.
Niall Manning and
Riley O'Brien combined for 14 strikeouts in a Game 1 9-3 victory, while Van Horne tripled, homered and knocked in five, with
Miles Bigelow allowing just four hits in eight innings of work in an 8-1 Game 2 triumph.
C of I (13-12, 6-2 NAIA West) plated two second inning runs in the opener – including a Van Horne RBI single, to take the early lead, with a
Bobby Wright solo homer in the third extending the lead to 3-0.
Tech (7-13, 4-6) cut the lead to 3-2 on a Kai Fong RBI single in the fourth, but the Yotes scored three times in the fifth, including RBI singles from
Dalton Ridgway and
Cole Mansanarez, with Conigliaro adding a run-scoring single in the sixth to make it 7-3.
Manning worked the first five innings, allowing three runs on six hits, turning the ball over to O'Brien, who retired 12 of the 14 men he faced, fanning seven, to earn his second save. C of I had 15 hits in the win – three from Conigliaro, and two hits from Van Horne,
Johnny Hyland,
Hunter Hanson and
Ryan Murkle.
The Yotes wasted no time in Game 2, batting around for five first inning runs. Mansanarez doubled home a run, Conigliaro singled home a tally and Van Horne roped a two-run triple to cap the big frame.
A Van Horne two-run homer in the third extended the lead to 7-0, with the freshman adding a fifth inning sacrifice fly to close out the scoring.
Bigelow did the rest, walking just one batter and striking out four to earn his second-straight win. Van Horne was 2-for-3 with five RBI, with Conigliaro going 2-for-4.
C of I returns home this weekend for a four-game series at Wolfe Field against rival Lewis-Clark State.
