Shidaki, Yearout Lead Cavs to Sweep of OIT
BOX SCORES : Game 1 I Game 2
PORTLAND—Concordia’s Cole Shidaki hit a walk-off single to lead the Concordia baseball team to a win in the first game of a doubleheader against Oregon Tech on Saturday, while Jon Yearout followed with a complete-game shutout in the second game to complete the sweep for the Cavs.
Shidaki’s walk-off hit completed a two-run ninth inning for the Cavs that saw Concordia go from 3-2 down to a 4-3 win. Yearout, meanwhile, gave up only two hits and two walks in his gem in the nightcap, and became the first CU pitcher to throw a shutout since Jason Snodgrass shut out then-No. 22 The College of Idaho, 10-0, on April 1, 2012.
Saturday’s doubleheader opened NAIA West Grouping play for both teams with the Cavs improving to 9-10 overall and 2-0 in the NAIA West, while the Hustlin’ Owls dropped to 7-14 overall and 0-2 in the NAIA West.
Both teams will resume their four-game series tomorrow, March 10, when they play a doubleheader at 11 a.m.
Game 1—Concordia 4, Oregon Tech 3
The Cavs trailed 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth of the first game Saturday, but scored two runs with two outs in the inning to win 4-3.
The comeback win was the fifth of the season already for the Cavs, all five of which have come with the Cavs trailing in the sixth inning or later. The walk-off win was also the Cavs’ third of the season.
C.J. Watson led off the Cavs’ ninth-inning rally with a single through the left side of the infield. Trent Calmer then subbed in for Watson at first and quickly moved to second off a sacrifice bunt from Ben Talbot. Sheldon Austria followed Talbot’s sacrifice with a walk, forcing Oregon Tech to make a pitching change.
OIT’s PJ Vanemmerick took over on the mound for the Hustlin’ Owls and got Blake Drake to hit into a fielder’s choice, leaving the Cavs with two outs in the inning, though Calmer did advance to third on the play. Vanemmerick then got a full count against the Cavs’ Jordan Keeker, putting the Hustlin’ Owls one strike away from a win.
Keeker fought of the two-strike count, however, and laced a single up the middle that scored Calmer from third. Calmer’s run tied the game at 3-3, while Drake and Keeker moved to second and first on the play, respectively.
That’s where Cole Shidaki found them when he stepped up to the plate and the senior took advantage, roping a single to right-center that scored Drake for the game-winning run.
OIT forced the Cavs’ comeback after taking a 3-2 lead with a run in the top of the seventh. Ryan Hayden led off the seventh with a double down the left-field line and then came home on a pinch-hit single through the left side of the infield from Aaron Bocchi.
OIT’s run in the seventh broke a 2-2 tie, which the Hustlin’ Owls forced with a run in the top of the fifth. That run broke a string of two straight for the Cavs after OIT opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first.
Overall, OIT outhit the Cavs 9-5 in the game, while Tyson Dahl, Alex Reynolds and Dylan Rogers all led the team with two hits. Meanwhile, no Cavalier player had two hits in the game, though Drake led the Cavs with two runs scored.
On the mound, starters Eddie Crowe, for the Cavs, and Talon Sisley, for the Hustlin’ Owls, each went 6.1 innings while earning no decisions. Ryan Garrett, who pitched the ninth for the Cavs, ended up with the win, while Vanemmerik, who only pitched 0.1 innings, picked up the loss, thanks to Shidaki.
Game 2—Concordia 4, Oregon Tech 0
The second game of the doubleheader on Saturday was all about the Cavs’ Jon Yearout, who led the Cavs to the sweep with a complete-game, 4-0 shutout of OIT.
Yearout was so dominant that the Hustlin’ Owls only got one runner on base past the third inning, and the Cavs got that runner out on a double play immediately afterwards.
Yearout’s shutout also lowered his team-low ERA to 0.79, which would have ranked second in the NAIA West Grouping heading into the weekend.
The Cavs’ offense, meanwhile, gave Yearout all the offense he’d need with a run in the bottom of the second. C.J. Watson brought in the second-inning run for the Cavs with a sacrifice fly that scored Ryne Briley.
The Cavs solidified the lead with another run in the bottom of the fifth when Nate Douglas, who pinch ran for Ben Talbot after Talbot got hit by a pitch, scored on a throwing error from OIT starting pitcher Craig Kathol.
Briley came up big again for the Cavs in leading them to two final insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth. Briley plated the first run in the bottom of the eighth with a single to right-center field, before coming around himself for the second run when Jimmy Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly to right.
Briley finished the game 2-for-3 from the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Besides him, Jared Young also had three hits in the game for the Cavs.
On the flip side, Jared Nelson and Dylan Rogers went 1-for-2 from the plate to lead OIT offensively.