CI's Isaac Garsez went 3 for 8 with an RBI and thee runs scored on Saturday.
Coyotes Control Cavs for Series Sweep
PORTLAND, Ore.—Coming within an inning of posting a pair of shutouts, College of Idaho defeated Concordia 7-0 and 2-1 to sweep a four-game series over two days against Concordia University at Joe Etzel Field.
With the results, C of I improved to 14-10 on the season and evened its NAIA West Region record to 4-4. Concordia dropped to 6-13 on the year and 2-6 in league play.
Concordia will next take the field in a non-conference road game at Pacific on Tuesday, March 15. Opening pitch for the single 9-inning game is set for 6 p.m. in Newberg, Ore. The Cavaliers will return home to host British Columbia for a four-game series on March 19-20.
GAME 1
Capitalizing on three errors in the first three at bats, College of Idaho scored four unearned runs in the opening frame. Isaac Garsez and Tanner Hodges both tagged doubles off CU starter Steven Taft, the only two hits of the inning, with Hodges getting credit for a pair of RBI.
The Coyotes added another unearned run in the third inning on a fielder’s choice to third which score Todd Griffiths, who reached base on a throwing error. The visiting side would tack on single runs in the fourth and the fifth innings for the seven-run advantage.
C of I’s Mitch Dame received the win after going seven innings. Dame scattered 10 hits before turning the ball over to Alex Reyes and Chad Yegge for the final two frames.
Also giving up 10 hits, Taft was charged with seven runs on the day, only two of which were earned.
Despite the run differential, Concordia outhit the Yotes 11-10 with Riley Tubbs going 4 of 5 at the plate. Curt Cosby and Brady Miletich both had two hits for the Cavs.
Jarel Lewis and Jeffrey Harris joined Garsez with two hits each for C of I.
GAME 2
After a combined 21 hits in the opener, the two teams shared only 11 hits in the seven-inning nightcap.
A leadoff single followed by a pair of stolen based by Garsez in the fourth led the game’s initial score. Advancing himself to third without the aid of another hit, Garsez made an easy trot home on a deep fly ball to center off the bat of Jesse Dodd for the second out of the inning.
The Yotes would get a much-needed insurance run in the top of the seventh after back-to-back hits, including an RBI triple to right by pinch hitter Dan Harrington to score Anthony Pawelek. Also in a pinch hitting situation, Pawelek reached on a single through the right side of the infield.
After nothing just two hits in the first six innings, Mike Cero led off the final stanza with a double down the left-field line and was followed by a single from Miletich to give the Cavs just its third runner in scoring position of the game.
With runners at the corners, a bunt by Tim Reavis broke CU’s scoreless streak and advanced the tying run to second. After an infield pop out for the second out, Mike Dickman singled to left to once again give the Cavs runners at first and third.
The late-inning rally would be cut short as Griffiths, who moved over from shortstop earlier in the inning, induced a foul-ball pop up near the C of I dugout which was scooped by a diving Lewis after crashing from his first base position for the game-ending out.
C of I’s Levi Mitchum earned the win after allowing four hits and one run in six innings. Griffiths picked up the save and CU’s Mitch Ludtke took the loss despite striking out nine batters in five innings of work.
C of I picked up six of the game’s 11 hits with no batter on either team posting a multi-hit game.