Clay 2-Run Triple Lifts Yotes to Twinbill Sweep of OIT
CALDWELL, Idaho – Matthew Clay capped a monster day at the plate with a 2-out, 2-run, go-ahead triple in the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2, helping The College of Idaho complete a doubleheader sweep of Oregon Tech at Wolfe Field.
The Yotes (3-4) used a 7-run fifth inning to win Game 1, 11-7, while withstanding an OIT comeback in Game 2 to claim an 8-7 victory – splitting the 4-game non-conference series.
Clay finished the day 6-for-8 with five RBI – none more important than his smash off the wall in deep right-center in Game 2, delivering Ben Dudley and Jonah Hultberg from the corners, to give C of I a 7-6 lead. Austin Van Horne followed with an RBI single to extend the lead, which proved huge, as Dalton Daily hit a solo home run to get the Owls (2-4) within a run, but Van Horne, in relief, got the final three outs to close out the win.
C of I erased an early 1-0 OIT lead in Game 2 with a 4-run third, as Clay tied the game with an RBI single and scored on a throwing error following a Van Horne single. Anthony Pannullo lifted a sacrifice fly, with Carter Vieira scoring in a run down to cap the inning.
The lead grew to 5-1 before Tech rallied, plating four runs in the sixth – thanks to a pair of 2-out C of I errors – to draw even, taking the lead in the seventh on a long Mitchel Swanson home run, setting up the wild finish.
Ben Tighe was outstanding for the Yotes, tossing five innings of 3-hit ball, striking out four, in a no decision, with Van Horne earning the win in relief, allowing a pair of home runs in three strong innings. Clay was 4-for-4 and Van Horne went 3-for-5 in the win, while Daily was 3-for-5 in the loss for OIT.
Game 1 saw OIT take a 3-0 lead into the fifth inning – thanks to a Micah Jio 2-run single.
The Yotes answered in the bottom of the inning in a big way, sending 12 men to the plate, scoring seven runs. Ben Hansen lined an RBI double, Hultberg and Clay added RBI singles, with Dudley capping the big inning with a 2-run single.
It was enough for freshman Hunter Kirkpatrick, who tossed five strong innings, allowing three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts, to earn his first collegiate win. Four C of I hitters – Hultberg, Clay, Dudley and Tanner Leaf – each had two hits. Jio led OIT with three hits.
The Coyotes return to action next weekend, hosting Eastern Oregon in a 4-game series.
NOTES:
- The Yotes stole seven bases in the doubleheader, including a pair of stolen bases by Vieira
- Game 1 lasted three hours and two minutes, the fifth time in seven games that the Yotes have played a game over three hours.
- C of I recorded 10-or-more hits in both ends of the doubleheader and have record 10-or-more hits in five of the seven games.