KEIZER, Ore. – Pitching was the story at Volcanoes Stadium, as the College of Idaho and Corban University split a pair of tight NAIA West baseball games.
The host Warriors (6-13, 2-2 NAIA West) got a bases-loaded walk in the 12th inning to earn a 4-3 victory in Game 1, while the Yotes got a stellar start from
Connor Root to take the series finale, 3-1.
Root pitched a career-best eight innings, allowing a run on six hits – with
Nick Kindred getting the final three outs for his second save.
Ben Dudley got the Yotes (6-15, 2-2) on the board in the second with a solo homer to left field, with the visitors extending the margin to 3-0 in the fifth on a
Jonah Hultberg RBI double and a wild pitch that scored
Ryan Nolan from third. Root did the rest, stranding runners in scoring position in the second and third, before retiring 11-straight batters at one point.
Hultberg went 3-for-5, with Nolan and Dudley each recording two hits in the win.
C of I took an early lead in Game 1 – as
Matthew Clay singled leading off the second, stole second and scored on an error. Corban tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a Nate Cantonwine solo homer and took a 2-1 lead an inning later on a bases loaded walk.
The Yotes pulled even in the sixth on a Dudley RBI groundout – with the teams putting zeroes on the board for the next five innings.
In the 12th, C of I regained the lead on a Nolan RBI single – but left the bases loaded. That loomed large, as the Warriors strung together four singles to plate a run and with the bases loaded, pinch hitter Jack Ossenkop was walked to force in the winning run.
Austin Van Horne pitched a career-high 7.2 innings in a no-decision, allowing two runs on five hits, striking out eight.
Jared Bowman pitched three shutout innings before allowing the two runs in 12th to take the loss. Nolan and Clay each had two hits for C of I.
Estenio Sede went 3-for-6 for Corban – part of a 5-hit day – with Jacob Bowser earning the win with seven innings of five-hit relief.
C of I continues their road swing next weekend with a 4-game series at Lewis-Clark State.
