CALDWELL, Idaho - In a rare Monday clash, the College of Idaho Baseball team displayed heart and hustle in a thrilling clash against rival Lewis-Clark State, ultimately falling short in a 6-4 nail-biter.
Lewis-Clark State jumped to a two run lead in the first and mustered four runs before the Yotes finally got on the board. The Warriors were led offensively by Ike George who got two hits, including a double, as well as scoring two runs.
Despite the early deficit, the Yotes roared to life in the later innings, fueled by the relentless efforts of their lineup. In the sixth, the crowd erupted as Connor Olsen worked a bases-loaded walk to put the Yotes on the board, followed by James Hull drawing another clutch walk to push across a second run.
The momentum continued into the eighth inning when Cannon Morgan laced a sharp single to center field, driving in James Hull and cutting the Warriors' lead to 6-3. The tension peaked in the bottom of the ninth, with Ben Gaff delivering a crucial RBI single to bring home Bryan Ebe and put the winning run at the plate. But despite the Yotes' fierce rally, the final out left the tying run stranded on second.
On the mound, Caden Casagrande fought through three tough innings, while Jackson Cummins provided solid relief with four frames of work, striking out two. Zaylor Bruegeman and Grant Jakobson combined to shut the Warriors down late, giving the offense every chance to climb back.
The College of Idaho now looks ahead to their next matchup, determined to turn this grit into glory. With a current record of 11-4 (1-2 CCC), the Yotes are hungry for redemption. They look to their next conference series at Eastern Oregon Univ. starting February 28th with first pitch scheduled for 1pm MT.
