CALDWELL, Idaho - A pair of late-game heroic performances were enough to lead the College of Idaho baseball team to a doubleheader sweep over Eastern Oregon, winning both by scores of 6-4 and 11-7.
Game one
The Yotes were led by two-hit performances from
Tristen Garland,
Kris Kirkpatrick,
Kirby Robertson, and
Jake Denison, as they would combine for eight of the Yotes 11 hits. The Yotes wasted no time at all, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning.Garland would score on a wild pitch, and Kirkpatrick drove in a pair on a single to center field, jumping out to a quick 3-0 lead.
The Mountaineers answered back, scoring four unanswered runs from the second to sixth innings. Justin Duso drove in the first EOU run on a single to left field in the second inning. In hte fifth, Joey Freitas drove in a run on an error. In hte sixth, EOU was able to strike for a pair on a walk and a fielder's choice, as the Mountaineers took a 4-3 lead, and would hold it until the eighth.
In the eighth, it was
Matthew Iwamizu who stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter, belting a home run to left field which also drove in Kirkpatrick. The very next batter,
Kirby Robertson, followed that up with a long ball of his own, his first of the day, as the score became 6-4 which would hold to be the final score.
Nick Eliason came in to get the win, pitching two innings of no hit ball in relief. Alex Farnsworth was tabbed with the game one loss, as his record dropped to 0-2.
Game two
The nightcap of the doubleheader was a back and forth battle, as the teams traded leads early on.
Jonah Hultberg,
Skyler Sadora, Kirkpatrick,
Jordan Kelly, and
Ben Hansen all had multiple hits, combining for 11 of the 14 team hits.
The Mountaineers scored first after an error in the first inning. They then followed that up with a Garret Kollar double to left field, which scored Iram Macias. In the bottom of the second,
Kirby Robertson hit his second home run of the day, driving in
Ben Gaff in the process, tying the game at two. The Yotes would tally two more in the inning as Garland and Hultberg drove in runs as the Yotes took a two-run lead.
Eastern Oregon would answer back, scoring three runs in the fourth and fifth innings. In the bottom of sixth,
Skyler Sadora belted a three-run homer to left field in which the left fielder hardly moved as it sailed over the fence, as the Yotes took back the lead at 8-6. From there, Hansen drove in a run on a double and Robertson drove in two on an error, as the Yotes ended the game with an 11-7 victory.
Nick Eliason earned his second win of the afternoon, improving his record ot 3-1, going two and two-thirds innings while only allowing one hit and striking out four. Turner Edwards was tabbed with the game two loss, as his record dropped to 0-1.
The Yotes and Mountaineers will be back in action tomorrow for the finale of non-conference action.
