Triple Play Not Enough as Yotes Sweep Corban

With the losses, Corban falls 9-27 overall, 6-14 in NAIA Region I play.

Junior Derek Stokes registered his first complete game of the season, but suffered a heart-breaking loss to The College of Idaho despite the Warriors' first triple play this season. Photo courtesy: Corban Sports Information

CALDWELL, Idaho - Despite a non-traditional triple play by the Warriors in the night cap and a combined three hits by senior Daniel Flores (San Jose, Calif.), Corban's baseball team dropped a pair of regional games to The College of Idaho, 8-7 & 4-2, Friday at Simplot Stadium.

Making its second straight trip to the state of Idaho, Corban was looking to rebound from last weekend's three-game series with the NAIA's No. 2-ranked Lewis-Clark State. Over the two days, the Warriors scored a combined one run while allowing the defending national champions to plate 25 runs.

Game #1 - The College of Idaho 8, Corban 7

In the opener, Corban scored the first run when freshman Nate Hiebert (Lebanon, Ore.) registered a one-out single down the left field line and then advanced two bases on a failed pick off by the 'Yotes' pitcher with two outs. During the next at-bat, Hiebert scored via a wild pitch to give the visitors an early 1-0 lead.

The College of Idaho proceeded to score a pair of unanswered runs over the next two innings highlighted by Matt Mejia's one-out single through the right side in the bottom of the second inning that scored Cody Brubaker from third.

In the top of the sixth inning, Corban scored a pair of runs on three hits en route to taking a one-run lead (3-2). Junior Craig Spicer (Vancouver, Wash.) led off the inning with a single to right center before advancing to second via another failed pick off by C of I's pitcher. The very next batter -- Flores -- brought Spicer home with his 13th double of the season en route to registering his team-leading 33rd RBI this year. After Flores was lifted for sophomore pinch-runner John Kazmierski (Salem, Ore.), senior Scott Flux (Salem, Ore.) registered a sacrifice bunt back to the pitcher that allowed Kazmierski to advance ninety feet to third. The very next batter -- sophomore Josh Warner (Independence, Ore.) -- brought Kazmierski home via another sacrifice bunt straight back to the mound for the Warriors' final run of the inning.

In the bottom half of the inning, The College of Idaho re-took the lead thanks to scoring a pair of runs on two hits as Mejia registered a two-run single that gave the host 'Yotes a one-run advantage (4-3).

Trailing by a mere run, Corban put four runs on the board in the top of the seventh inning as freshman Kyle Taylor (Clackamas, Ore.) was walked with the bases loaded before sophomore Cameron Meier (Salem, Ore.) was hit by a pitch to force home the Warriors' second run of the frame. Senior Darren Johnson (Vancouver, Wash.) then brought home Warner with a single to short before fellow senior Jamie McGraw (Gaston, Ore.) drew Corban's second walk of the inning with the bases loaded en route to giving the visiting Warriors what-seemed-to-be a comfortable three-run lead (7-4) heading into the final frame.

The College of Idaho used a never-say-die attitude in its final at-bat, scoring three runs on a pair of hits en route to tying the game at 7-all therefore forcing today's opener into extra innings. The 'Yotes' highlights came off the bats of Richie Snider via a sacrifice fly to right field and Brubaker, who reached via a throwing error by the Warriors' third baseman that allowed the tying run to score with two outs.

Following three scoreless frames, C of I came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning as Jake Miller led off the inning with an infield single before advancing to second on Brubaker's single up the middle. With one out, Alex O'Brien singled through the right side which allowed Miller to score from second therefore ending the opener.

Flores and Taylor led the Warriors' offense with two hits each, while four other Warriors -- Hiebert, Spicer, Flux, and Johnson -- recorded a hit each.

On the mound, senior Jordan Emery (Salem, Ore.) took the hill for the Warriors in the opening 6.0 innings allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits to go along with a game-high four strikeouts. Junior Jason Braun (Dallas, Ore.) came in for the game's final 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits en route to suffering the heart-breaking, extra-inning loss.

The College of Idaho was led offensively by Brubaker, who turned in a 3-for-5 performance at the plate to go along with a quartet of 'Yotes that registered two hits each.

Jake Bottari started the game for the 'Yotes, going the opening 5.2 innings allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits to go along with a team-high three K's. A duo of relievers -- Jason Barry and Andrew Brock -- combined to throw the final 3.1 innings for The College of Idaho, as Brock threw a near-perfect 2.0 innings en route to picking up the victory.

Game #2 - The College of Idaho 4, Corban 2

In the night cap, The College of Idaho scored the game's first three runs in the bottom of the first inning highlighted by Brubaker's two-run triple to right center that scored Snider and Miller.

Corban came back in the top of the second inning, scoring a single run via Taylor's sacrifice fly to center field that scored Flores to cut the 'Yotes' lead to a mere two runs (3-1).

In the top of the third inning, C of I got a run via Snider's double down the left field line to regain its three-run lead before the highlight of the afternoon happened. With runners on first and second and zero outs, O'Brien lined out to Corban's first baseman (Taylor), who touched the first base bag for the second out, before throwing the ball to Flores at short, who tagged the runner that was attempting to return to second to complete the triple play.

Coming off the high of the program's first triple play of the season, the Warriors shut down C of I's bats in the bottom of the fourth inning before attempting a come back in the top of the fifth. With two outs and freshman Nathan Hickok (Sherwood, Ore.) on second, Meier reached base via a fielder's choice before Hickok scored on the 'Yotes' third failed pick off of the doubleheader to pull the Warriors within two runs (4-2).

Over the final four frames, both pitching staffs and defenses buckled down as the two teams combined for one hit with no runners advancing past first bases over the game's final 12 outs.

Corban was led offensively in the night cap by Flores and Flux, who combined for the Warriors' lone two hits off C of I pitching. Junior Derek Stokes (Anchorage, Alaska) went the distance for Corban, allowing four runs (all earned) on nine hits to go along with one strikeout.

Offensively, three different 'Yotes registered two hits each to go along with a trio of C of I players that tallied a hit each. Pitching-wise for The College of Idaho, Pat Lyon went the distance allowing two unearned runs on a mere two hits to go along with a game-high three K's.

With the losses, Corban falls 9-27 overall, 6-14 in NAIA Region I play. Meanwhile, The College of Idaho evens its record at 22-22 overall and moves to 14-6 in NAIA Region I action. Both teams will return to the diamond on Saturday, April 26th, for a late-morning, mid-afternoon doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m. at Simplot Stadium.

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