CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho rode quality starts from
Anthony Martine and
Miles Bigelow to a key Easter Sunday doubleheader sweep of Oregon Tech at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes (19-21, 12-11 NAIA West) pulled two games ahead of OIT for the final berth into the NAIA West Postseason Tournament with 5-3 and 6-1 victories – earning their third series win this season against the Owls.
C of I took an early 1-0 lead in the second inning of Game 1 – as
Devon Pogue was hung up in a two-out rundown long enough for Nate Hundley to score from third. OIT (17-26, 11-15) responded in the third, getting a one-out double from Austin Zavala, with pinch runner Tristen Shea scoring on a Michael Kilpatrick squeeze bunt.
Tech took the lead in the fourth, as Ryan Dahl hit his third home run of the season to left field, but the Yotes tied the score in the bottom of the frame, as
Austin Van Horne doubled and scored on a double play ball.
While Martine kept OIT at bay over the next three innings, C of I finally regained the lead in the seventh, as a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt allowed Pogue to score the go-ahead run. The Yotes tacked on a pair of insurance runs in the eighth, one on a
Ryan Murkle sacrifice fly and another on a
Dominic Conigliaro RBI single.
Martine picked up his fifth win of 2017, allowing just six hits and striking out four, with
Riley O'Brien getting the final six outs for his fourth save. Conigliaro had the lone multi-hit game for C of I, going 2-for-4.
Evan Johnson took the loss for the Owls – walking five and fanning nine is the loss.
Bigelow was the story of Game 2, allowing just one run on three hits in seven innings of work – needing just 66 pitches and benefitting from three double play balls.
C of I gave the righty the lead in the fourth on a long leadoff solo home run from
Cole Mansanarez.
Hunter Hanson followed with a walk, moved to third on a wild pickoff throw and scored on a
Dalton Ridgway safety squeeze bunt.
The lead extended to 4-0 in the fifth, as Mansanarez lifted a sacrifice fly and
Colton Witsman scored on a wild pitch – before OIT cracked the scoreboard in the seventh on a Louis Wolf sacrifice fly. The Yotes capped the scoring in the seventh on a long two-run homer from Hanson.
Mansanarez had the lone multi-hit game, going 2-for-3, while Hanson score two runs.
The Yotes hit the road next weekend for a key four-game series at Lewis-Clark State – with Game 1 set for Friday night at 6 p.m. (PT)
