Diego Robles went 6-for-9 with his 10th homer in the Yotes sweep
CALDWELL, Idaho - The College of Idaho kept their hopes of hosting the NAIA West Postseason Tournament alive, recording 29 hits, including five home runs, in a doubleheader sweep of No. 3 ranked British Columbia, 10-7 and 10-6, at windy Wolfe Field.
The No. 17 ranked Coyotes (35-11, 25-5 NAIA West) will need to sweep tomorrow’s twinbill between the rivals to secure the top-seed in the tournament. A win by UBC would send the NAIA West national qualifier to Nat Bailey Stadium in Vancouver.
Game 1 saw the Yotes jump out to a quick 2-0 lead on a two-run homer by Diego Robles in the opening frame, before the Thunderbirds (35-10, 26-4) got a two-run single from Alex White and an RBI single from Sammy Starr in the third to take the lead at 3-2.
Tied 4-4 in the fifth, the Yotes batted around for four runs – getting consecutive RBI singles from Jye Lanphere, Ray Santiago, Gavin Gamboa, and Jordan Lanman, pushing the lead to 8-4. A solo homer by Kyle Douglas made it 9-4 in the sixth, but the T-Birds got a two-run shot from catcher Greg Densem to pull within three runs. Gamboa capped the Yotes scoring with a solo longball in the seventh.
Ben Rosen picked up his NAIA West leading ninth win, gutting out six innings, with Mitch Dame pitching the final three innings for his first save. Robles went 4-for-5 in the win, with Gamboa and Jared Arehart each logging three hits – as the 17 Coyote knocks were the most allowed by UBC this season.
Eric Brown was handed his first loss of the year for the T-Birds, allowing eight runs in five innings. White went 3-for-5 in the loss, as UBC saw a 16-game NAIA West win streak snapped.
Game 2 saw UBC jump out to a 6-1 lead in the third inning, as Andrew Firth hit a solo homer and Nic Lendvoy added a two-run blast in a four-run inning. However, the Yotes clawed back, scoring four of their own in the bottom of the frame, getting an RBI singles from Arehart and Lanphere, scoring a run on a UBC error and a wild pitch.
The C of I would take the lead for good in the fifth against reliever Danny Britton-Foster, as Douglas blasted a two-run homer off the scoreboard in right. The Yotes would add three more insurance runs, thanks to an untimely UBC error, to make it 10-6.
It was all Chad Yeggy would need, as the sophomore allowed just two hits in his two-plus innings of relief, to pick up his fourth win. Lanphere had three hits, with Douglas and Robles each recording two safeties.
Starr went 3-for-4 with Bob Foerster adding a pair of hits for the T-Birds. Starter Sheldon McDonald fanned eight in four innings of work, but got a no-decision.
The two teams will close out the regular-season with an 11 a.m. doubleheader tomorrow. It is Youth Baseball Day and Senior Day – with all kids in their baseball uniform (along with their parents) admitted for free, while the Yotes will honor their five seniors (Rosen, Arehart, Santiago, Robles, and Ben Rodwell).