CALDWELL, Idaho – Despite a seven hit day from infielder
Johnny Hyland, the College of Idaho dropped both ends of an NAIA West Grouping doubleheader to Oregon Tech at Wolfe Field.
The visiting Owls (11-14, 3-3 NAIA West) never trailed in a 7-3 victory in the opener, while topping C of I 4-3 in 11 innings in the nightcap.
OIT scored seven runs in the middle innings to break the game open. Alex Poltz got Tech on the board with an fourth inning RBI single, with an RBI fielders' choice from Micah Jio pushing the lead to 2-0. Back-to-back solo homers from Austin Zavala and Josh Kallstrom extended the lead to 4-0 in the fifth – just before a 23-minute weather delay halted play.
The visitors added an RBI double from Kai Fong and a two-run Poltz single in a 3-run sixth to take the seven-run lead, before the Yotes (8-13, 1-4) rallied late with a two-run
Austin Van Horne single and a Hyland RBI double, but could not get closer.
Starter Doug Molzahn struck out six in six innings for the win, with Zavala and Poltz each recording three hits. Hyland was 4-for-5 in the loss for C of I, with reliever
Nathan Pena tossing two-plus innings of scoreless relief, striking out four.
In Game 2, the Yotes forced extra innings late – as a two-out pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth inning from
Dylan Mansanarez tied the score at 2-2.
After C of I worked out of trouble with double plays to end both the ninth and tenth innings, OIT had runners at second and third in the 11th, with Justin Jordan blooping a two-run single down the right field line to regain the lead.
The Yotes made it interesting in the bottom of the frame, as Hyland singled and scored on a
Dominic Conigliaro double – but Trask Telemanich got
Kole Lane to ground out to pick up his fourth save of the season.
Starter Chase Wago grinded through 10 innings for the OIT win, allowing just one earned run and striking out six. Jordan was 3-for-5 with two RBI in the victory.
Niall Manning got a no-decision, allowing two runs on three hits in eight innings of work, striking out five. Hyland finished the game 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
The two teams close out the series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
