CALDWELL, Idaho –
Alex McFarland-Smith went 5-for-10 with two doubles, two homers and seven RBI, helping The College of Idaho to a doubleheader split with Eastern Oregon at Wolfe Field.
Eastern (6-13), the designated home team in the series, used a 5-run fifth inning in Game 1 to earn a 8-5 victory, while McFarland-Smith gave C of I a lead in the fifth of Game 2 with a 3-run homer, leading the Yotes to a 7-4 win.
The Coyotes (10-11) built a 5-2 lead in the opener, as McFarland-Smith ripped RBI doubles in the third and fifth innings to give the hosts the lead. The Mounties answered in the bottom of the fifth, as McKlaine Elgin cleared the bases with a 3-run triple to give EOU a 7-5 lead.
The EOU bullpen did the rest, as Kolbe Bales and Jacob Farnsworth tossed three shutout innings, striking out six, to close out the win.
Donovan Gonzalez went 4-for-4 for Eastern and Adrian Roa drove in three in the win.
Ben Gaff and
Dillon Danner each had two hits for C of I.
The Mounties started quickly in Game 2, as Hector Carreon hit a first inning 2-run homer to right – but Coyote starter
Dimick Wood settled down, working seven strong innings to earn the win – limiting EOU to just one run over his final six frames.
C of I cut the deficit to 2-1 in the fourth on a
Ben Dudley 2-out RBI single, while McFarland-Smith blasting a 3-run homer an inning later over the centerfield wall to give the Yotes the lead. McFarland-Smith hit his second homer of the game in the sixth, a wind-aided 2-run shot to right, extending the lead to 7-3.
EOU made it interesting in the eighth, cutting the margin to 7-4 – but
Erik Wisenor entered and got a strikeout and ground out with the bases loaded to end the threat – getting the final five outs for his fourth save.
Dudley,
Kirby Robertson and
Jonah Hultberg all had two hits for C of I in the win, which snapped an 8-game losing streak.
The two teams close out the four-game non-conference series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.
