PORTLAND, Ore - Facing pressure and fighting for their postseason lives, the College of Idaho baseball team delivered in a big way on Saturday, sweeping Warner Pacific in an electric doubleheader to even the series at 2-2. Game one saw the Yotes claw their way to a gritty 6-4 comeback win, while game two turned into an offensive masterclass with an 18-8 demolition.
Game One: College of Idaho 6, Warner Pacific 4
The opening game was a tense battle from the first pitch, with both teams trading early blows and momentum swings. After going scoreless through two innings, the Yotes scratched the scoreboard in the third when James Hull stole third and dashed home on a throwing error to put The College of Idaho on the board. In the fourth, Brandon Faire launched a solo home run to left field, giving the visitors a 2-0 lead and sparking the dugout to life.
But Warner Pacific punched back with a two-run bottom of the frame, aided by an infield single and a double play that allowed the tying run to cross the plate. The Yotes regained the lead in the sixth behind small ball and hustle. After a single and a hit-by-pitch, Jace Mahlke grounded out to bring in the go-ahead run, and a wild pitch moments later made it 4-2 in favor of the Yotes.
Again, the Knights refused to fold, tying it at 4-4 with a two-run surge in the seventh. But College of Idaho answered immediately. In the top of the eighth, Connor Olsen singled and later scored on a clutch opposite-field double from Caden Casagrande. Mahlke followed with a sharp single to center, and Casagrande, sprinting on contact, slid safely into home for an important insurance run.
On the mound, starter Oliver Massie battled through 6.2 innings, striking out six and working around nine hits and two walks. The bullpen baton was passed to Zaylor Bruegeman, who was lights-out down the stretch, striking out four in 2.1 perfect innings to slam the door and earn the win.
Game Two: College of Idaho 18, Warner Pacific 8
If game one was a battle of wills, game two was a statement. The Yotes came out swinging — and never stopped — putting up one of their best offensive performances of the season in a game that saw 16 hits, 18 runs, and fireworks in nearly every inning.
The College of Idaho set the tone early with a three-run first inning, fueled by a double from Jack Ingraham and a two-RBI single from Faire. By the third, the Yotes had turned it into a rout. Mahlke and Hull each delivered RBI hits, and Pete Bacon drove in another run during a five-run frame that pushed the lead to 8-1.
The onslaught continued in the fourth and fifth. Faire and Bacon each roped extra-base hits, and then came the big swing — a towering three-run home run to left field by Casagrande that had the entire Yote bench on its feet. Olsen later added a solo blast of his own in the sixth, and Bacon capped off his monster day with a two-run single in the seventh to make it 18-5.
Warner Pacific showed late signs of life with a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, but it was far too little, too late.
On the hill, Jackson Cummins picked up the win with a strong 4.0-inning start, while Jakob Cummins and Kaden Lapp combined to finish off the final three innings. Defensively, the Yotes played clean and sharp, supporting their pitchers every step of the way.
Leading the charge was Bacon, who went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, a double, and a triple. Faire and Casagrande also tallied four RBIs apiece, with Ingraham and Olsen each scoring three runs. Every starter reached base, and nearly every Yote notched a hit.
With a playoff spot still in the cards, the Yotes now prepare for their final series of the season — a four-game battle against Eastern Oregon University starting Friday, April 26 at 1:00 p.m. at Wolfe Field.
