Cascade Collegiate Conference recap for March 24

Oregon Tech swept College of Idaho. British Columbia swept Corban, but it took an extra inning in the second game to do it.

Ka’ala Tam – Photo by Courtney Blumer

At Caldwell, ID. First game: Oregon Tech 6, College of Idaho 5. Good ball game. It was tied 3-3 going into the ninth inning. The Hustlin’ Owls opened the top of the ninth with Alonzo Vergara hit by a pitch from Ben Gaff. Gaff walked the next batter, Keanu Mizuta. Ka’ala Tam bunted Mizuta and Vergara to second and third. The next batter, Logan Macy, hit a sacrifice fly to score Vergara. Patrick Barry hit an RBI single to give the Owls an insurance run, and Matthew Ortiz hit an RBI double to give them another one. They needed them both. Riley Cronin recorded a strikeout to start the bottom of the ninth. The next batter, Jordan Kelly, hit a home run, and the score was 6-4. Dillon Danner drew a walk. Then, Trevor Watkins hit a single to make it 6-5. However, he was caught between first and second base. Cronin struck out Tyler Lehnertz to preserve a one-run win.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Danner hit an RBI double. The Owls evened it with an RBI single by Macy in the top of the fifth, then took a 3-1 lead with a two-run home run by Tam. The Coyotes tied it 3-3 with an RBI triple by Danner, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Watkins.

Isaac Hill started for the Owls, pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed three runs on six hits, struck out two. Cronin went the rest of the way, allowed two runs on two hits, struck out three. Dawson Cummins started for the Coyotes, went seven innings, allowed two earned runs on five hits, struck out three. Danner’s numbers were 2-for-2 with a triple and a double, two RBI, and two walks. Barry finished 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Second game: Oregon Tech 12, College of Idaho 6. The Hustlin’ Owls won this with five runs in the fourth inning, on a two-RBI single by Matthew Ortiz and a three-run home run by Kyle Norton. The game wasn’t as close as the final score indicates; the Coyotes scored four runs in the bottom of the ninth.

Cody Dubray started, pitched four innings, allowed one run on four hits, struck out six, got the win. Jacob Lewis got the loss. Tyler Horner finished 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double, and three RBI. Dillon Danner finished 3-for-5 with two RBI for the Coyotes. recap

The Hustlin’ Owls swept the four-game series.

At Vancouver, BC. First game: British Columbia 9, Corban 5. The Thunderbirds out-hit the Warriors 13-6, but the Warriors were able to keep this one close until the seventh inning, by converting those hits to four earned runs and one unearned run. The Warriors led 3-1 after 1 ½ innings, with a two-RBI single by Nainoa Ka’ahanui and a home run by Lucas Mertlich. The Thunderbirds took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the second with a two-RBI double by Kaden Zarowny and an RBI double by Aaron Marsh, They led the rest of the way, but didn’t open up any distance until the seventh inning, when they scored two runs, an RBI on a bunt single by Jaden Lamothe and an RBI single by Zarowny, and they led 8-5. They scored one more run in the eighth on an RBI single by Jonny McGill.

Starter Ryan Beitel got the win, pitched five innings, allowed three earned runs on four hits, struck out eight. Vicarte Domingo went the rest of the way, allowed one run on two hits, struck out three. Warrior starter Avery Williamson got the loss. Marsh finished 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI. Mertlich finished 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and two RBI.

Mitchell Middlemiss – photo by Bob Frid, UBC Athletics

Second game: British Columbia 3, Corban 2 (10 innings). Hayden Van Acker went the distance for the Warriors, gave up only two runs on 11 hits over the first ninth innings. However, the first batter he faced in the bottom of the tenth inning, Mitchell Middlemiss, hit a home run to win it.

Daniel Orfaly and Evan Hoegler combined to hold the Warriors to two hits. Both of those hits were off Orfaly, who struck out eight. One of those hits was a two-run home run by Lucas Mertlich in the top of the seventh inning, and it gave the Warriors a brief 2-1 lead. The Thunderbirds tied it 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh with a sacrifice fly by Trent Lenihan.

Middlemiss and Aaron Marsh were both 2-for-4, and Marsh hit a triple. Mertlich had both of the Warriors’ hits. recap

The Thunderbirds swept the four-game series. Marsh was 10-for-17 with eight RBI for the series.

Standings:

* British Columbia is #6 in Strength of Schedule