MCMINNVILLE, Ore. - The College of Idaho baseball team was able to overcome a four-run lead late by scoring six runs in the top of the seventh to take the finale of the series by a score of 7-6.
The Yotes offense was led by multiple hit performances by
Skyler Sadora and
Ben Gaff, and Sadora led the way with three RBIs. The Linfield pitching kept the Yotes bats in check for the first half of the contest, holding the Yotes to just one hit through the first five innings of play. In the sixth inning, a triple from
Tristen Garland was enough to spark the offense, as Garland would later come across to score on a wild pitch. To that point, the Wildcats were up five runs after putting up offense in the bottom of the first inning.
To start the seventh inning, the Yotes would need to create some offense to take the lead.
Jake Denison drove in the first run of the inning on a sacrifice fly which scored
Ben Gaff. Garland would then record a sacrifice fly for himself on a play which
Kirby Robertson came across the plate, making the score 5-3 in favor of the Wildcats. Sadora would tally one of his three hits in the seventh on a bases clearing double, driving in three runs as the Yotes would take a 6-5 lead.
Alex McFarland-Smith would single in the next at bat, driving Sadora in to round out the Yote scoring.
Linfield was able to produce baserunners in the bottom of the ninth inning, and Tyler Marr doubled down the left field line with two outs which scored Danny Kahn from second base, and Braden Woods was thrown out at the plate, which would've been the eventual game-tying run, as the Yotes would hold on for a one run victory.
Colby Durski saw his record improve to 5-2 in the win.
Ben Gaff earned his thrid save of the season, striking out two Linfield batters in the process. Gavin Ludlow was tabbed with the loss, only recording one out. The win by the Yotes stretches the win streak over Linfield to five games, dating back to a three-game sweep last season at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes will return to Wolfe Field, taking on Lewis-Clark State in a three day weekend series, beginning on Friday night.
