British Columbia, Canada - In a roller-coaster affair under the lights at Tourmaline West, the College of Idaho baseball team's season came to a dramatic close, as the Yotes dropped a 4–2 decision to No. 4 seed Oregon Tech in an elimination matchup of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship. Despite a frenetic third-inning rally and staunch pitching for much of the evening, C of I couldn't overcome the timely hits and late-inning insurance double that sealed their fate.
The Owls wasted no time stamping their authority on the contest. In the top of the first, a passed ball plated Barry for the opening run, and two batters later, a sacrifice fly from Mizuta made it 2–0. Tam's run-scoring double extended the lead to 3–0, silencing the Yotes' dugout and setting a menacing tone for the evening.
College of Idaho answered back in the bottom of the third with the kind of grit that has defined this season. After Trevor Watkins's grit-and-grind approach drew a hit-by-pitch and later scored on an Oregon Tech error, Ben Gaff ripped a two-out double into the gap, delivering a run that cut the deficit to 3–2 and sent the traveling contingent into a frenzy. Heading into the middle innings, momentum seemed to shift firmly in the Yotes' favor.
Starting pitcher Dawson Cummins battled admirably, working seven innings of two-earned-run ball, striking out five and keeping his squad within striking distance before opening the door to Oregon Tech's late-game strategy. In the eighth, Tam again found the barrel, doubling home O'Daniel to push the Owls' cushion to 4–2—an insurance tally the Yotes could never claw back.
When the final out was recorded in the bottom of the ninth, the C of I players stood in stunned silence, their Cinderella hopes dashed mere feet from the conference crown. Though the Yotes' journey in the CCC Championship has ended, the foundations for future success have never been stronger. As this resilient roster returns home, the College of Idaho community stands united, ready to build on the passion and perseverance witnessed in Vancouver.
