BOX SCORES – GAME #1 | GAME #2
CALDWELL, Idaho – Freshmen
Jacob Kopra (Gresham, Ore.) and
Jake Balbas (Meridian, Idaho) both went the distance against the NAIA's No. 22-ranked Coyotes of The College of Idaho, but neither complete game performances were enough as Corban's baseball team dropped Friday's double header, 5-4 & 8-1, at Wolfe Field.
With today's result, Corban falls to 11-34 overall and 4-21 in NAIA West play. Meanwhile, The College of Idaho improves to 31-11 and 21-5 in league action.
Kopra would take the mound in the opener, as he pitched 8.1 innings allowing five earned runs on 13 hits to go along with four strikeouts. Balbas would toe the rubber in the finale, as he went 6.0 innings allowing eight earned runs on 11 hits with two K's.
GAME #1 – COLLEGE OF IDAHO 5, CORBAN 4
In the opener, Corban would watch as The College of Idaho scored first in its opening at-bat before the visiting Warriors took a two-run lead (3-1) in the top of the second. Junior
Steven Candelaria (Farmington, N.M.) would get Corban's scoring started via a single to center field that scored fellow junior
Trevor Winsor (Troutdale, Ore.). During the Warriors' next at-bat, junior
Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) would score on a throwing error by the Coyotes' catcher before senior
Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) drove in Candelaria with a single to center field that resulted in Corban's two-run lead.
The College of Idaho would tie things at 3-3 in the bottom of the third before Corban re-took the lead (4-3) in the top of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by freshman
Craig Baker (Meridian, Idaho) that brought home freshman
Kyle Kunkel (Bremerton, Wash.), who was running in place of junior
Tyler Lake (Medford, Ore.).
C of I would tie the game for the third time (4-4) in the bottom of the seventh inning before driving in the winning run two innings later on a walk-off single to right field by Jarel Lewis that scored Kyle Douglas for the final score of 5-4.
Lake led Corban offensively with a 3-for-4 performance, while Warner turned in a 2-for-5 showing with one run batted in.
The College of Idaho got a 4-for-5 performance with one run scored and two RBI from Jared Arehart, while Ben Rosen went the distance allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits to go along with a game-high seven strikeouts.
GAME #2 – COLLEGE OF IDAHO 8, CORBAN 1
In the finale, The College of Idaho scored eight unanswered runs over the opening four innings that included putting five runs on the board in the bottom of the first with the highlight coming off the bat of Lewis via a two-run single to right center.
Corban would finally get on the board in the top of the fifth inning when Lake drove in Kunkel via a ground out to second base that made the final deficit seven runs, 8-1.
Freshman
Marc Labarthe (Salem, Ore.) led Corban at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance, while Taylor and sophomore
Steven Blum (Salem, Ore.) were the only other Warriors to collect hits in Game #2.
The College of Idaho was led by Douglas' 3-for-4 showing with two runs scored and one run batted in, while Levi Mitchem went the opening 6.0 innings for the Coyotes allowing one earned run on three hits before turning the ball over to Ben Rodwell for the game's final three outs.
These same two teams will meet in the final two games of this weekend's four-game series tomorrow – Saturday, April 24th – in a late-morning double header beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Wolfe Field.