CALDWELL, Idaho – The bats came alive for the College of Idaho in a big way, as the Coyotes combined for 24 runs and 25 hits in a key doubleheader sweep of Corban at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes (10-11, 3-1 NAIA West) got seven strong innings from
Niall Manning in an 11-4 Game 1 win, while
Hunter Hanson and
Austin Van Horne each hit grand slam homers in a come-from-behind 13-5 win in the night cap as C of I won the weekend series, three games to one.
Vince Gonzalez got the Warriors (8-13, 2-6) on the board in Game 1 with a two-out bloop RBI single in the first inning, before Manning found his rhythm. The right hander would retire 16 of the next 17 Corban batters – finishing with three strikeouts – for his second win of the year.
C of I took the lead in the third on a two-out, two-run double from
Bobby Wright – one of five hits on the day for the senior. The Yotes extended the lead to 5-1 in the fifth, getting a
Cole Mansanarez RBI single and a long
Dominic Conigliaro two-run home run to right.
The Yotes put the game away in the sixth, batting around for five runs. Wright brought home a pair on a base hit, with both Mansanarez and
Sam Grise adding RBI knocks.
Wright finished 3-for-4 with four RBI, with Hanson, Mansanarez and Conigliaro each adding two hits. Six Corban batters had one hit in the loss.
Van Horne started Game 2 off on a good note for the Yotes, singling home
Dalton Ridgway from third base in the second inning for a 1-0 lead. The visitors, though, chased starter
Riley O'Brien in the fourth with three-straight two-out hits – a game-tying RBI double from Ethan Bragg, an RBI single from Gonzalez and a Ben Liogon RBI infield single. Corban extended the lead to 5-1 in the fifth on a RBI infield single from Zach Penrod and a Bragg RBI base hit.
C of I used the big fly to regain command, loading the bases with no outs in the sixth, followed by Hanson golfing a long home run to right to tie the game at 5-5. An inning later, a Conigliaro single and two walks filled the bags for Van Horne, who crushed a home run to left-center to give the hosts the lead. Van Horne would provide insurance runs in the eighth, clearing the bases with a double off the centerfield wall.
Van Horne finished 4-for-5 with eight RBI – just the fourth Coyote in program history with eight or more RBI and first since the 2010 season – with Ridgway scoring four runs. Reliever
Miles Bigelow tossed three scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the year, allowing just two hits and fanning two.
Penrod, Bragg and Cody Schmidt had two hits for the Warriors.
C of I hits the road next weekend for a four-game series at Oregon Tech.
