KEIZER, Ore. – A 3-run seventh inning rally and a stellar relief performance from
Nathan Pena helped the College of Idaho split a NAIA West doubleheader with Corban University at Volcanoes Stadium.
The Yotes (11-18, 5-5 NAIA West) rallied for a 3-2 victory in the nightcap after Corban earned a 6-2 win in the series opener.
Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, C of I loaded the bases with one out – getting singles from
Chase Labbe and
Drew Ochsner and
Jon Gonzalez reaching on a Warriors (8-13-1, 6-4) error.
Weston Miller got the Yotes on the board with an RBI fielders' choice, with
Carter Vieira tying the game with an RBI single and
Alec Hopkins making it 3-2 with a base knock up the middle.
Corban loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Pena was summoned, getting a strikeout and a ground out to end the threat. The senior worked around a one-out single in the ninth to lock down his second save.
Richard Walker was outstanding, allowing just two earned runs in seven strong innings, picking up his third win, with Hopkins recording two of C of I's five hits.
Game 1 was a pitchers' duel between the Warriors Jonathan Russomano and C of I's
Hunter Boyd. Russomano allowed six hits and fanned eight in eight innings, while Boyd allowed four runs on seven hits with six strikeouts in seven innings.
Daniel Freiburger doubled home a pair of first inning runs for the Warriors – and never trailed – as C of I recorded only a
Payton Lewis sacrifice fly in the third that cut the margin to 2-1, and an Ochsner RBI single in the ninth to make it 6-2.
Freiburger and Maxwell Jeffrey each had three hits for Corban, with Labbe going 2-for-3 for the Yotes – extending his hit streak to eight games.
The series closes out tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
