CALDWELL, Idaho – Playing in his hometown for the final time on Senior Day,
Austin Van Horne would not be denied a College of Idaho victory, striking out 12 Oregon Tech batters and roping a walk-off 2-run single in the bottom of the ninth, as the Yotes claimed a 4-3 win at Wolfe Field.
The visiting Owls (17-21, 12-12 CCC) claimed the series win with a 10-3 victory in today's opener.
Van Horne, who tied C of I's school record with his 225th start of his 5-year career, lined a 2-0 pitch from OIT reliever Brendan Talonen into right-centerfield, setting off a wild celebration. Pinch-hitter
Dillon Danner set the table with a one-out double, before Talonen issued consecutive 2-out walks to
Alec Hopkins and
Jonah Hultberg to load the bases for the Caldwell native.
Tech took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, with Mitchel Swanson providing the big blow, a 2-run triple. However, Van Horne held OIT to just two more hits in his seven innings of work, with his 12 strikeouts a career-high and the most by a C of I hurler since the 2017 season.
The Coyotes (19-24, 11-17) chipped away at the deficit, as
Carter Vieira scored on a second inning wild pitch and
Anthony Pannullo lined an RBI single in the eight to pull the hosts within 3-2.
Van Horne finished the game 2-for-4, while
Colby Durski earned the win for the Coyotes, tossing two perfect innings of relief. OIT starter Dylan Grogan struck out seven in five innings, allowing just two hits.
The visitors rode the arm of Trask Telesmanich in Game 1, tossing eight innings of 5-hit ball for his fourth win.
Tech led 3-1 in the sixth, when Dalton Daily clubbed his league leading 11th home run of the season, with the Owls adding four insurance runs in the seventh – keyed by a Swanson 2-out, 2-run single.
Six different OIT hitters had two hits in the win, while five Coyotes had one hit in the loss.
C of I hits the road for their final eight games of the regular-season, beginning next weekend with a 4-game series at No. 6-ranked Lewis-Clark State.
