VANCOUVER, B.C. – The College of Idaho baseball team earned their first win in the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Championship Tournament in a dominate display against Bushnel Univ. Lead by Ben Gaf, the Yotes cruised to a comfortable 8-3 win, securing advancement into day two of the tournament. Looking to continue momentum, the Yotes took on hosts and top seed Univ. of Bushnell in their nightcap of the day. The failed to reproduce their success and fell to UBC 11-1.
Game 1: College of Idaho 8, Bushnell 3
A red-hot start and a milestone moment from senior Ben Gaff helped propel the College of Idaho to an 8-3 victory over Bushnell University in the opening round of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Baseball Championship at Tourmaline West Stadium.
Gaff etched his name into the record books with his 200th career hit, highlighting a dominant 4-for-5 performance that included three doubles, three runs scored, and an RBI. The Yotes used a quick-strike offense and efficient pitching to seize control early and never looked back.
The Yotes jumped on the scoreboard in the top of the first with a three-run burst, powered by a two-run single from Connor Olsen and a sacrifice fly from Trevor Watkins. Gaff added his first of three doubles in the second, coming around to score on a sac fly by Jack Ingraham to stretch the lead to 4-0.
In the fourth, Gaff doubled again and was driven home by a single from Cannon Morgan, who finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. The duo struck again in the sixth inning when Gaff's RBI double plated another run before Morgan brought in James Hull on a sac fly to make it 7-2.
College of Idaho pitchers Oliver Massie (W, 2-3) and Zaylor Bruegeman combined to hold Bushnell to just four hits while striking out 10. Massie tossed seven strong innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out seven. Bruegeman closed the door with two innings of relief.
Bushnell was limited offensively but did tally a pair of runs in the fifth on a two-run double by Carganilla. The Beacons added a third run in the eighth on a sac fly by Wilson, but it wasn't enough to overcome the early deficit.
Game 2: Univ. of British Columbia 11, College of Idaho 1
The College of Idaho baseball team ran into hosts and fresh from their top seeded by British Columbia lineup Friday night, falling 11-1 in their second game of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships.
British Columbia's bats erupted for 14 hits and 11 runs, including a pair of home runs from outfielder McGill, who drove in three runs and scored three times. McGill's first homer came in the third inning—a two-run shot that sparked a three-run frame—and he added a solo blast in the fifth to extend UBC's lead.
The Thunderbirds added runs in five separate innings and pulled away late, scoring three runs in both the sixth and seventh to put the game out of reach. Lenihan and Rose each collected two RBIs for UBC, while pitcher Will Anderson improved to 6-1 on the season after tossing six strong innings, allowing just one run on six hits with four strikeouts.
The Yotes got their lone run in the fifth when Jace Mahlke singled and later scored on a base hit from designated hitter Trevor Watkins. Mahlke led the offense with two hits and a stolen base, while Jack Ingraham also recorded two hits in the contest. Starter Nate Vidlak (3-4) was charged with the loss after allowing six earned runs over 5.1 innings.
With the loss, the College of Idaho drops into the elimination bracket.
The Yotes now await their next opponent—either Bushnell or Oregon Tech—who square off at noon MT. The winner of that contest will meet the Yotes in a do-or-die elimination game tonight at 7 p.m. MT, with a spot in the CCC semifinals on the line.
