CALDWELL, Idaho – The College of Idaho secured its fourth-straight Cascade Collegiate Conference series victory over the weekend, taking three of four games from Bushnell at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes (18-6, 9-4 CCC) closed the series Sunday with a doubleheader split, winning the first game 1-0 before falling 7-6 in the series finale despite a late comeback attempt. The series win marked the fourth in a row for College of Idaho, which now sits at 4-0 in series play this season.
Sunday's opener was a pitcher's duel, with the two teams combining for just seven hits before the Yotes finally broke through in the bottom of the ninth. Austin Moon worked a walk and moved into scoring position after a throwing error, allowing Maddox Weight to enter as a pinch runner. Weight advanced to third on a wild pitch before Darren Smith grounded out to bring home the game's only run and secure the walk-off victory.
College of Idaho finished with four hits in the game from Darren Smith, Cody Guy, Caden Casagrande and Corbin Sterner.
Zaylor Bruegeman led the way on the mound, tossing seven scoreless innings while allowing three hits and striking out eight. Jakob Cummins followed with two shutout innings in relief, striking out two to record his third save of the season.
Bushnell responded in the finale, building a 7-0 lead behind a five-run second inning and adding single runs in the third and fifth.
Dylan Carson led the Beacons with two hits, while Jaden Thomson drove in a run with an RBI single during the second-inning surge. Albert Jennings added an RBI double in the frame and finished with a hit and two walks, while Chase Nye drove in two runs for Bushnell.
The Yotes nearly erased the deficit in the seventh inning, erupting for six runs to pull within one. Logan Dreher started the rally with an RBI single before Skye Palmer added an RBI fielder's choice. James Hull followed with a two-run single to right center and Cody Guy capped the surge with a two-run single to bring the Yotes within 7-6.
College of Idaho threatened but could not push across the tying run in the final two innings.
Hull finished the game 2-for-5 with two RBI, while Guy also drove in two runs and Dreher added an RBI hit during the comeback attempt.
College of Idaho remains at home next weekend when it continues Cascade Conference play at Wolfe Field.
