TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Josh Mill provided Western Nevada College with a rally-killing performance out of the bullpen on Friday in Twin Falls, Idaho.
After Matt Young threw six scoreless innings, College of Southern Idaho trimmed WNC’s lead to 5-1 and filled the bases with one out in the final inning. Enter Mill. Mill fanned Cody Schmidt and Tyler Ross to preserve WNC’s 5-1 Scenic West Athletic Conference baseball victory. CSI, however, railed for five runs in the eighth inning to defeat WNC 7-3 in Game 2, gaining a doubleheader split.
Young (5-4) took a two-hitter into the final inning of the opener before needing help from Mill, who recorded his fourth save. Young was supported by four extra base hits, including two doubles by Abe Yagi. Young finished with a four-hitter, as well as six strikeouts and three walks.
Yagi doubled in Tim Lichty in the second inning, and D.J. Peters’ RBI two-bagger triggered a four-run third. Bradley Lewis’ two-run single made the score 4-0, and Eric Flores’ base hit plated Lichty to complete the uprising.
David Modler led the Wildcats by going 3 for 3 with a run scored. Peters, Yagi and Lewis delivered two hits.
CSI’s Parker Loutensock tossed 5 1/3 innings of two-hit relief to earn the victory in Game 2. Loutensock struck out eight and walked three.
WNC sophomore starting pitcher Chase Kaplan worked five innings, allowing four hits and one earned run.
Mill took the loss, giving up two hits and two earned runs in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Lewis accounted for two of the Wildcats’ four hits. His two-run double in the third inning broke a 1-1 tie.
The Wildcats and Golden Eagles are scheduled to play a twin bill beginning at 11 a.m. today.
JC SOFTBALL
WNC goes 1-2 vs. CSI
Because of a bad weather forecast, Western Nevada and College of Southern Idaho played a tripleheader at the Pete Livermore Sports Complex on Friday.
In the opening game, the Wildcats blew a 3-1 lead, but rallied for two in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull out a win thanks to a single by Gabby Canibeyaz. The Wildcats, despite a furious rally which sent the game into overtime, lost 9-8 in the middle game. CSI took the final, 12-8, despite a spirited late-game comeback by the Wildcats.
The teams conclude the three-game series today at 11, weather permitting. WNC’s SWAC record now is 8-15. CSI is 16-7 and 25-13.
“This team is showing the upside I haven’t seen yet,” WNC coach Leah Wentworth said. “The part we have been talking a lot about is trusting your stuff, taking what they are learning in practice and trusting it in a game situation under pressure. They are nice and relaxed; they are confident. They are not getting caught up in just what happened or what they think is about to happen. They are staying in the moment.”
The score in the opener was tied at 3-3 after seven innings.
College of Southern Idaho pushed across a run on an error to go ahead 4-3. In the bottom of the inning, Melanie Meacham, Kacie Freudenberger, Kelsie Callahan and Gabi Canibeyaz all singled to account for two runs and the win. Canibeyaz’s hit scored the game-winning run.
Bailey Henderson led WNC with three hits and an RBI while Kaylee Jaussi added two hits. Briauna Carter slugged a solo homer.
In the second game, WNC rallied for five runs to send the game into extra innings tied at 8. CSI scored one in the ninth to win.
WNC nearly won it in the bottom of the seventh. Henderson and Mecham laced two-out base hits, but Henderson was stranded on third when Freudenberger lined out to center.
In Game 3, CSI jumped out to a 2-0 edge against freshman right-hander McKell Marble in the first. Toller smacked an RBI single and Savannah Kirkpatrick delivered a sacrifice fly. The Golden Eagles tallied five more runs off Marble and Jimmy in the second. Kirkpatrick’s grand slam highlighted the uprising.
The Golden Eagles increased their lead to 12-1 with three extra-base hits in the fifth.
VARSITY SOFTBALL
Lowry pummels Dayton
WINNEMUCCA — Lowry scored six in the first and 16 in the third en route to a 24-0 win over Dayton Friday afternoon in a Northern Division 1A game.
Dayton managed just five hits, two by Aleea McGill-Howe.
VARSITY BASEBALL
Lowry grabs easy win
WINNEMUCCA — Lowry scored 10 runs in the first three innings en route to a 12-1 win.
Dayton’s only run came in the third.
No other information was available at press time.