CALDWELL, Idaho – College of Idaho got outstanding relief pitching and rallied from a 6-0 deficit, but could not get the clutch hit late, as Lewis-Clark State claimed the NAIA West series finale, 6-4, at Wolfe Field.
Warriors (8-8-1, 4-4 NAIA West) slugger Dalton Duarte hit a long 3-run homer in a 5-run fifth inning, giving the visitors the big lead.
The Yotes (10-17, 4-4) capitalized on four sixth inning walks by two L-C relievers – as
Austin Van Horne lined a sacrifice fly,
Chase Labbe plated two with a single into center field and a fourth run scored on a Warriors wild pitch. Unfortunately, C of I stranded the tying runners in scoring position and brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh and eighth innings – but couldn't get the big hit.
Thomas Lampkin Jr. went 4-for-4 in the win for the visitors, including an RBI single in the second inning that gave L-C an early lead. Seven different pitchers toed the rubber, with Joseph Riley striking out the side in the ninth to earn his second save in support of reliever Andrew Najeeb-Brush, who retired all six men he faced.
Jake Bowman had two hits in the loss for the Yotes, with Van Horne and
Nathan Pena combining for four innings of shutout relief – striking out six.
C of I returns to action next weekend with a 4-game series at Corban.
