Pitching Gem Leads Yotes to Home Opening Split
CALDWELL, Idaho – Dimick Wood and Austin Van Horne combined on a one-hit shutout, as the College of Idaho split a doubleheader with No. 14-ranked William Jessup at Wolfe Field.
The Coyotes (1-5) used a 2-run fifth inning rally to claim a 2-0 victory in the nightcap after WJU built an early lead and held off C of I, 8-6, in the opener.
Wood was dominant, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning – surrendering only Dylan Moser leadoff single to start the inning. The Warriors (5-2) put runners on second and third with two outs, but the righty got a fly ball out to end the threat.
C of I took the lead in the bottom of the frame – as Jonah Hultberg roped a double to left, with courtesy runner Nick Mooney moving to third on a Matthew Clay single. Alec Hopkins followed with a base hit to left to break the scoreless tie. Carter Vieira added a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead.
Van Horne entered in the seventh and fanned a pair of men – working around two walks – to log the save.
Hultberg went 2-for-3 in the victory, with Wood walking two and striking out five to pick up his first win in a C of I jersey. Ricardo Torres took the loss for the Warriors, allowing six hits in four-plus innings of work.
In Game 1, WJU took leads of 4-0 and 8-3 before holding on for the victory. The Warriors struck for three in the first – getting a key Moser 2-run single – while adding a solo Joseph Luevano homer in the second.
C of I cut the margin to 4-3 in the fifth – as Van Horne scored on a wild pitch, with both Hultberg and Clay adding RBI singles. The visitors extended the margin to 8-3 in the sixth on the strength of a Jesus Duran 2-run homer and a pair of sacrifice flies, before the Yotes chipped away at the deficit. Ben Hansen cut the margin to 8-4 with a sixth inning RBI single; Vieira lined an RBI single in the eighth; with Clay adding an RBI ground out in the ninth. The hosts brought the winning run to the plate with two outs in the ninth, but ended the game on a deep fly ball out.
Starter Marlin Brucato got the win for the Warriors, working through five innings of five-hit ball, with Luevano going 3-for-4.
Hultberg finished 3-for-5, with Weston Miller, Vieira and Hansen all logged two hits. Jared Bowman provided four innings of shutout relief, striking out a career-high five.
The two teams close out the four-game series tomorrow with an 11 a.m. doubleheader.