CALDWELL, Idaho –
Hunter Boyd struck out a career-high 10 batters in eight strong innings, benefitting from a 5-run fifth inning rally, as the College of Idaho opened a 5-game weekend series with a 6-3 victory over Benedictine Mesa at Wolfe Field.
The victory for the Coyotes (2-3) improved the team to 28-4 in home openers since the 1987 season.
In his first start at Wolfe Field, Boyd was dominant, limiting the Redhawks (4-4) to just four hits – walking a pair of batters – in picking up his first win of 2018.
After Boyd retired the first six men in order, BenU manufactured a run in the third – as Chandler Crow walked and scored on a two-out Jeremy Williams single. C of I answered in the bottom of the frame, as
Austin Van Horne punched a two-out RBI single through the right side.
The Yotes strung together five great at-bats in the fifth to take the lead.
Johnny Hyland walked with one out and scored on a
Tate Spivey double to the right-center gap. Van Horne chopped a one-hopper to third that was thrown away by Josue Ruiz, allowing Spivey to score for a 3-1 lead.
Dominic Conigliaro singled through a drawn-in infield to plate Van Horne for a 4-1 lead, with
Kole Lane lining a two-run homer over the left field wall to cap the rally.
BenU made it interesting in the seventh, as Travis Hunt launched a two-run homer deep over the left-center wall – but Boyd buckled down, striking out five of the final six men he faced.
Gaige Kepner closed out the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his first career save.
Spivey and Van Horne went 2-for-4 for the Yotes, with Williams the lone Redhawk with two hits. BenU starter Ryan Kokora allowed five runs on seven hits in five innings of work.
The two teams meet tomorrow in Game 2 of the series, with first pitch set for 2 p.m.
