CALWELL, Idaho – Oregon Tech (5-9 1-3 NAIA-West) scored 8-runs over the final three innings for an 8-6 win in game one, then dropped game two by a score of 7-6 on the way to an NAIA –West split with College of Idaho (9-11, 3-1 NAIA-West) Monday at Wolfe Field.
 
Game 1 Oregon Tech 8 College of Idaho 6
 
The Owls spotted the Yotes to a 6-0 lead as CI scored 2-runs in the first off an Austin Van Horne 2-run homer. College of Idaho then added 1-run to the scoreboard in the 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th to take a 6-0 lead.
 
OIT would answer with a huge six-run 7^th inning highlighted by a Micah Jio 3-run double and back-to-back RBI hits by Josh Kallstrom and Austin Zavala to tie the game at 6-6.
 
The Owls would then take their first lead of the series in the top of the ninth as Alex Malcolm led off the inning with his third-hit off the day, Kallstrom the doubled to center to put runners on second and third. After an intentional walk to Zavala loaded the bases, Tristan Shea delivered the biggest hit of the series, a two-run double to left-center field as Kallstrom and Malcolm scored to put the Owl up 8-6.
 
Trask Telesmanich came in and picked up the save in the ninth closing out the Yotes.
 
Ben Hood grabbed the win on the bump to improve to 1-1 on the season.
 
Malcolm and Jio had three-hits each to lead the Owls in the win with Kallstrom and Emmett Covello chipping in a pair of hits each.
 
Game 2 College of Idaho 7 Oregon Tech 6
 
Despite Shea going 3-for-4 with two-homers the Owls fell short in a 7-6 game two loss.
 
Tech scored an unearned run in the first to take a 1-0 lead. Shea made it 2-0 Hooter as he hit his first homer of the season, a big blast over the left field fence.
 
The Yotes made it a 2-2 game with 2-runs in the 4^th highlighted by a Payton Lewis triple.
 
The Owls took the lead right back in the 5^th on a Malcolm RBI double as OIT went back in front 3-2.
 
College of Idaho stormed right back to take a 4-3 lead with 2-runs in the bottom of the inning on 2-hits and an Owls' error.
 
Back-to-back singles by Shea and Nevan Watanabe set the Owls up with one-out in the 6^th, but the next batter for OIT grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the threat.
 
Tech made things interesting with one-run in the 8^th making it 7-4 on Shea's second homer of the day.
 
The Owls then scored twice in the top of the 9^th highlighted by yet another Malcolm RBI single, but with the tying run on first the Owls flied out to end the inning and the game 7-6.
 
Shea and Watanabe had three-hits each to lead the Owls in the loss with Malcolm delivering 2-hits and three-RBI.
 
The Owls will travel to Portland, Ore. next weekend for a Friday game at Lewis & Clark College starting at 2:00 pm then will travel south to Salem for doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday at Corban University.
 
 
FOLLOW OREGON TECH ATHLETICS
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube