Jeffrey Harris had four hits in the snowy doubleheader for C of I
CALDWELL, Idaho - Jarel Lewis had eight RBI on the afternoon to pace The College of Idaho, as the Coyotes beat both a late winter snowstorm and Willamette University, stopping the Bearcats 18-1 and 7-4, at Wolfe Field.
The Coyotes (10-2) completed their second-straight weekend sweep of a Northwest Conference team - running their win streak to eight games in a row. The squad battled the elements today, as snow began to fall in the eighth inning of Game 1 and fell heavy at times during the first four innings of Game 2.
A six-run first inning got the Yotes rolling - as a pair of Bearcats' (1-7) errors plated a run, with Izaac Garsez following with an RBI single. Tanner Hodges added an RBI ground out, Jesse Dodd roped an RBI single. Dodd would score on a wild pitch, with Riley Humberger delivering a run with a ground out.
The C of I would blow the game open in the second, sending 13 men to the plate, scoring a season-high 10 runs. Jarel Lewis had six RBI in the inning, starting the frame off with a two-run single to make it 8-0 and capping it with a grand slam homer to left. Brett Ward and Jeffrey Harris each added an RBI single and Nick Muncy had an RBI double in the inning, with Todd Griffiths plating a run with a sacrifice fly.
It was more than enough for Zachary Fabricius, who allowed just one hit in five shutout innings to get the win, striking out five. Willamette broke up the shutout in the eighth on a Bryan Afzali RBI single - as the Bearcats managed just five his in the loss. Lewis went 3-for-3 with six RBI, Harris, Ward, and Muncy each had two hits, with Humberger driving in three for the Yotes.
The snowstorm played havoc in the opening innings of Game 2 - as WU scored an unearned run in the first, as Mitch Rowan scored on a throwing error with two outs in the inning. The C of I would answer in the bottom of the inning, as Lewis slammed a two-run double off the left-field wall, to give the Yotes the lead. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases, with Cameron Packham being plunked to force in a run, and a fourth scoring on a wild pitch. The Bearcats evened the score in the second, as WU loaded the bases with no outs before Tyson Giza lined a ball off Griffiths' ankle for an RBI single, with the senior throwing the ball wide of first, allowing a second run to score to make it 4-3. Michael Garza entered the game and following a Hunter Gallant RBI ground out, got Sky Kelley to strike out and Tiras Koon to line out to end the threat.
In the fourth, the Yotes took the lead for good, as a one-out Harris single started the rally, followed by three-straight walks, the last to Tanner Hodges, to bring in the go-ahead run. Fabricius added a sacrifice fly to push the margin to 6-4.
It was enough for Garza, who gutted through six innings, allowing three hits and five walks, fanning four, to pick up his first win. Harris went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, with Lewis and Hodges each driving in a pair.
The C of I returns to action this weekend with a four-game home series against Dickinson State - a single game Friday and Sunday, with a Saturday doubleheader.