Yotes Take Pair from UBC, Region I Tourney Next
CALDWELL, Idaho -- The College of Idaho sent their senior class out with a pair of victories this afternoon, as the Coyotes swept the final regular season doubleheader of the season from British Columbia, winning 4-3 and 8-6 at Simplot Stadium.
The wins for the Yotes (28-24, 17-7 Region I) gave The C of I a share of the regional regular season pennant, but UBC won the all-important tiebreaker, giving the T-Birds the host site for next week's Region I Tournament.
The opener saw the T-Birds (23-26, 17-7) take an early 2-0 lead in the third on a Sammie Starr RBI double and a Fletcher Vynne RBI single, but the Yotes would come back, tying it in the fourth on a Ray Morrison RBI single and a double steal.
The hosts would take a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the eighth, as Jake Miller scored on a wild pitch, but the Yotes pen could not hold the lead, as Sean Everest laced a two-out RBI single in the ninth to tie the score. However, The C of I would win it in the bottom of the inning, as Dane McGrady walked and his courtesy runner Brett Ward was sacrificed to second. Ward would move up to third on a wild pitch, and after a walk to Luke Howarth, Bryan Champ layed down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt to score the game winner from third.
Jason Barry got the win for the Yotes, but it was Justin Marsh-Quinlan who was stellar out of the pen, tossing three scoreless innings. Morrison and Richie Snider each had two hits for the Yotes.
Game 2 saw the Yotes fall behind 3-0, but battle back, taking the lead for good on a Perry Hamilton three-run homer in the fifth inning.
A two-run Nic Lindsay double in the second gave UBC the three-run lead, but the Yotes came back, getting a Jason Cox RBI single and a McGrady RBI ground out to cut the lead to 3-2. In the third, Garrett Schultz laced a two-run single to give the Yotes their first lead.
However, UBC rallied for three runs in the fourth, two coming on a Jon Syrnyk RBI single - setting the stage for Hamilton's heroics.
Dan Thiry got the win in relief, tossing a scoreless inning - as he, Ben Rodwell, and Dustin Carlsen combined to not allow a hit over the final three innings. Hamilton went 2-for-4 with four RBI, while Everest, Craig Leebosh, and Dave Dick all had two hits for the T-Birds.
The two teams will have a rematch in Game 2 of the NAIA Region I Tournament at Nat Bailey Stadium on Thursday. Game time is set for 6 p.m. (PDT), following the 2 p.m. start between Lewis-Clark State and Concordia.