LA GRANDE, Ore. – Eastern Oregon University baseball battled through two high-intensity matchups against the College of Idaho, falling 10-9 in the opener before rallying late to secure a 10-5 victory in game two at Optimist Field.
Game One: College of Idaho 10, Eastern Oregon 9
The Mountaineers stormed back from a six-run deficit but saw their comeback effort slip away in the ninth as the Yotes pulled off a last-minute rally.
Trailing 6-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, Eastern Oregon erupted for seven runs to take the lead, highlighted by a two-run single from Parker Cumberland and a solo home run from Mario Landeros. The momentum continued in the seventh with back-to-back solo homers from Carson Gerding and Danny Burns, giving EOU a 9-6 advantage.
College of Idaho chipped away late, with Chandler Stocking blasting a solo home run in the eighth before a decisive ninth inning saw Conner Olsen deliver a two-run double and Jack Ingraham drive in the go-ahead run.
Cumberland led the Mountaineers with a 2-for-5 performance and two RBIs, while Landeros went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Burns and Gerding each added solo homers.
On the mound, Shane Sinclair struck out six in 4.2 innings while allowing three earned runs. Zakaia Michaels provided three solid innings of relief before Alex Farnsworth (0-2) suffered the loss, giving up three runs in the ninth.
The Yotes were led by Stocking, who went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Zaylor Bruegeman earned the win, pitching two innings without allowing a hit or an earned run.
Game Two: Eastern Oregon 10, College of Idaho 5
Eastern Oregon responded in game two with a late offensive explosion, using a five-run eighth inning to secure a 10-5 win and earn a split in the doubleheader.
After falling behind 4-0 in the second inning, EOU fought back, starting with a two-run triple from Burns and an RBI single from Matthew Carlson in the fourth. The Mountaineers took the lead in the fifth when Alex Olague crushed a two-run homer to center, making it 5-4.
EOU's pitching staff held firm, keeping the Yotes off the board for five straight innings behind the efforts of Tucker Zander (1-1) and Jake Herrera, who combined for 5.2 shutout frames. The offense then put the game away in the eighth, highlighted by a solo homer from Greyson McDaniel, a two-run single from Mason Van Arsdall, and an RBI fielder's choice from Trevor Baker.
Olague finished 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs, while Burns went 2-for-4 with two RBIs. McDaniel also had a strong outing, going 2-for-3 with a home run. Zander earned the win, allowing just four hits in 3.2 scoreless innings.
The Yotes were led by Ben Gaff, who recorded four hits and four RBIs. Dawson Cummins was credited with the loss after allowing six hits and five earned runs in 3.2 innings.
Up Next
The Mountaineers return to Optimist Field for the final matchup of the weekend series against the College of Idaho tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.
