LEWISTON, Idaho –
Carter Vieira had a 4-hit day and the College of Idaho became just the third squad to score nine runs against No. 6-ranked Lewis-Clark State in today's opener, but the Warriors used seven combined home runs to complete a Day 1 sweep of the Yotes at Harris Field.
Brock Ephan and Dillon Plew combined for five home runs and 14 RBI in the 13-9 and 12-1 wins by the Warriors (33-3, 25-1 CCC).
The Coyotes (19-26, 11-19) did not make it easy on LC in the opener – taking leads of 5-0, 6-2 and 9-5 – before the hosts used the long ball to earn the win.
C of I chased Warriors starter Trent Sellers, batting around in the first inning to plate five runs – with Vieira providing the big blow, a 2-out, 2-run single. After LC cut the margin to 6-5 in the third, the Yotes got a fourth inning RBI double from
Weston Miller and a pinch-hit 2-run double from
Ben Hansen, to extend the margin to four runs.
LCSC cut the margin to 9-8 in the bottom of the frame on a long 2-run homer by Ephan, his second of the game, and took their first lead of the game in the seventh on a Plew 3-run blast.
Greg Blackman shut C of I down the rest of the way, tossing five innings of shutout relief for the win.
Vieira went 3-for-4 with two RBI and both Miller and
Ryan Nolan had two hits in the loss for the Yotes.
An 8-run second inning was the ticket for LCSC in Game 2, as Aidan Nagle hit a 2-run homer and Ephan belted his league-leading 14th homer of the season, a 2-run shot, in the frame.
It was more than enough for Alec Holmes, who limited C of I to just two singles in five shutout innings.
The Yotes got their lone run in the sixth on a
Ben Dudley sacrifice fly.
The two teams will play a single game, weather permitting, tomorrow at 3 p.m. (PDT)
