Jarel Lewis went 6-for-9 with seven RBI in the doubleheader
CALDWELL, Idaho - Jarel Lewis went 6-for-9 with seven RBI, as The College of Idaho swept an NAIA West doubleheader from Oregon Tech, winning 7-3 and 18-10, at Wolfe Field.
The Coyotes (27-11, 12-6) pounded out 32 hits in the two wins - with Izaac Garsez setting a new school record with his tenth triple of the season in Game 2. The C of I used their speed in the wins, combining for 10 stolen bases.
In the opener, the Owls (15-22, 8-10) took an early 1-0 lead in the third, as Ryan Hayden scored on a ground ball by Zach Earle, but the lead was short-lived. Tanner Hodges doubled in a run in the bottom of the frame to tie the score, with Jeffrey Harris following with a two-run single to give the Yotes the lead. In the fifth, Garsez led off with a triple and scored on a Lewis single to push the lead to 4-1, with Garsez doubling home a run in the sixth, then scoring on a wild pitch, to extend the lead to 6-1.
Chad Yeggy retired 12 men in a row in the middle innings, working seven-plus innings of six-hit ball, striking out six, to pick up his seventh win. He allowed a two-run homer by Hayden in the eighth, as Tech cut the lead to 7-3, but Michael Garza got the final six outs to end the game. Garsez went 3-for-4 - a homer shy of the cycle, with Lewis going 3-for-5. Hayden went 3-for-4 in the loss for OIT.
The late game was dominated by the Coyote bats - scoring at least one run in each of the first six innings, building a commanding 18-1 lead. Hodges got The C of I a 1-0 lead in the first with his second RBI double of the day, In the second, the Yotes plated four, including a two-run single from Todd Griffiths. Dodd doubled home a run in a two-run third to extend the lead to 7-0. After a Dustin Norman RBI single got OIT on the board in the fourth, RBI singles from Lewis and Harris pushed the Coyote lead to 9-1. The C of I blew the game open in the sixth with a seven-run inning, closed by a long three-run homer by Lewis.
Zach Fabricius gutted through seven innings to pick up the win, allowing a run on eight hits. OIT made it interesting in the ninth, scoring eight runs - including a solo homer from Norman and a grand slam home run by Kyle Suetter.
Dodd went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, with Brett Ward delivering three hits. Lewis went 3-for-5 with six RBI for the Yotes - as all nine starters had at least one hit. Norman had three hits for Tech, as the Owls had 15 hits in the loss.
The two teams will close out the series with an Easter Sunday doubleheader tomorrow at 11 a.m. - with an Easter Egg Hunt starting the morning at Wolfe Field at 10:30 a.m.