LA GRANDE, Ore. — The College of Idaho opened Cascade Collegiate Conference play in emphatic fashion Saturday, sweeping Eastern Oregon in a road doubleheader behind an overwhelming offensive display and strong pitching throughout the day. The Yotes piled up 32 runs across the two games, including a pair of late-inning explosions, to move to 2-0 in CCC action and 9-1 overall. The teams meet again Sunday in La Grande for another noon MT doubleheader, with the opener counting toward the conference standings and the second game as a nonconference matchup.
Game 1: The College of Idaho 15, Eastern Oregon 3 (8 innings)
The Yotes set the tone early in the conference opener and put the game away late, scoring 12 runs over the final two innings to run away from the Mountaineers.
Cody Guy opened the scoring with a solo homer to right in the third, and after Eastern Oregon briefly tied it, Darren Smith regained control with a two-run blast to right-center in the fifth for a 3-1 lead. The Mountaineers rallied with a pair in the sixth, including a balk and a solo homer, but The College of Idaho responded with a decisive six-run seventh.
Smith delivered the go-ahead RBI single, then chaos on the basepaths and back-to-back wild pitches extended the advantage. Jack Ryan followed with the biggest swing of the inning, a two-run single to right that grew the lead to 7-3.
The Yotes kept pouring it on with a six-run eighth, highlighted by RBI singles from Caden Casagrande, Connor Olsen and Logan Dreher, followed by a two-run single from James Hull to cap the scoring.
Smith finished with three hits and three RBI, Ryan drove in four and Casagrande, Dreher and Hull each added multi-RBI afternoons. Jackson Cummins and Heath Sasser-Gunson combined to scatter six hits with seven strikeouts.
Game 2: The College of Idaho 17, Eastern Oregon 3 (8 innings)
The Yotes' offense was even more relentless in the nightcap, stacking 19 hits and scoring in six different innings.
After falling behind 2-1 early, The College of Idaho broke the game open with a five-run fifth. Smith again delivered the pivotal blow, hammering a three-run homer to center after a Guy double. The inning continued with a bunt single by Ryan and RBI hits from Austin Moon, Dreher and Evan Brown for a 6-2 cushion.
The seventh saw Hull force in a run with a bases-loaded walk, and the Yotes then detonated for 10 runs in the eighth. Casagrande doubled in a run, Ryan followed with a two-run homer to center, and the lineup continued to cycle with RBI knocks from Skye Palmer, Smith, Casagrand again, Keitaro Adachi and Jace Mahlke.
Smith totaled five RBI in the game, Casagrande added three and Ryan finished with three hits and three RBI. Zaylor Bruegeman went the distance on the mound, allowing just three runs with six strikeouts.
