CALDWELL, Idaho –
Matthew Clay lined a walk-off RBI single in extra innings to win the opener and
Richard Walker tossed seven shutout innings in the nightcap, as the College of Idaho swept an NAIA West Grouping doubleheader from Oregon Tech at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes (8-10, 2-0 NAIA West) rallied with two runs in the eighth and Clay's heroics in the tenth inning to claim a 3-2 victory in Game 1, while C of I pounded out 12 hits and rode Walker's right-arm in a 9-1 victory in Game 2.
GAME 1 – A pitchers' duel between the Coyotes
Hunter Boyd and OIT (4-8, 0-2) righty John Schulz ended with a C of I rally in the tenth inning for the hosts second walk-off win of the year.
Tech was limited to just five hits in the contest, but a Tristen Shea 2-out, 2-run single in the fourth gave the Owls a 2-0 lead. Boyd dominated over nine innings, walking just one and striking out eight in a no-decision.
The Yotes tied the game in the eighth, as
Carter Vieira reached on a one-out walk and Clay moved him to third with a base hit. A double-steal plated C of I's first run, while Clay scored on an OIT fielding error.
Schulz worked into the tenth inning, striking out six – but allowed a leadoff single to
Nick Mooney to start the extra frame. Mooney stole second and scored when Clay ripped a single over the head of centerfielder Michael Tarakhchyan.
Both Clay and
Chase Labbe had two hits, with
Austin Van Horne earning the win with a scoreless tenth inning. Josh Kallstrom had two hits for OIT.
GAME 2: Walker stymied the OIT bats – allowing seven hits and striking out six in seven strong innings – stranding nine baserunners, in picking up his second win.
C of I scored runs in five-straight innings from the second through the fifth – piling up a 9-0 lead.
Labbe got the Yotes on the board with an RBI single in the second, with C of I plating a pair in the third – one on an error and another on a
Payton Lewis run-scoring single. The lead grew to 5-0 in the fourth – as
Alec Hopkins knocked in a run with a single and Van Horne walked with the bases loaded.
The Coyotes scored three in the fifth – with Vieira providing the big blow with a 2-run single – with C of I closing the scoring on a
Dylan Mansanarez RBI double in the sixth.
Hopkins and
Jake Bowman each had three-hit games, with Mansanarez adding a pair of hits. Micah Jio went 3-for-4 with three doubles in the loss for OIT.
The two teams close out the series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
