Tanner Hodges went 4-for-5 with a double, triple and 5 RBI in Coyote win
NAMPA, Idaho - Rallying from a nine-run deficit after three innings, The College of Idaho scored 11 unanswered runs to stun rival Northwest Nazarene, 13-11, in Game 3 of the Canyon County Clash at Elmore Vail Field.
Three different Coyotes (17-6) recorded four-hit games, as The C of I pounded out 18 hits to take a two games to one lead in the series.
NNU (11-9) jumped all over the Yotes in the first three innings, as an RBI single by Derek Bettinson and an RBI double by Fernando Robles in the opening frame helped the Crusaders to a 3-0 lead. The Division II school would extend the lead to 8-0 in the second, with Charlie Gorzo capping the frame with a three-run blast. After the Coyotes got an RBI single from Jarel Lewis and RBI double by Tanner Hodges in the third, NNU pushed the lead to 11-2 in the bottom of the inning on a Sean McDonald two-run single.
While Taylor Nicholson kept the Crusaders at bay with three-plus innings of one-hit relief, the Yotes chipped away at the deficit. Two-out RBI singles in the fifth from Lewis and Jesse Dodd, along with an RBI double from Hodges, cut the lead to 11-5. An inning later, Hodges cleared the bags with a two-out triple and Jeffrey Harris singled in a run, as the Yotes got within 11-10. Garsez tied the game in the seventh with a two-out RBI double, while The C of I took the lead for good in the eighth, as Zach Fabricius lifted a sacrifice fly and Brett Ward followed with an RBI single.
Fabricius got the win, allowing just one hit in three shutout innings. Hodges went 4-for-5 with five RBI, Harris went 4-for-5 with two runs scored, and Garsez went 4-for-6 with three runs scored in the victory. McDonald went 4-for-6 with three RBI in the loss for NNU.
The C of I returns to NAIA West play this weekend with a four-game set at Lewis-Clark State, beginning with a single game on Friday at 6 p.m. (PT)