Klamath Falls, OR. – Oregon Tech (8-12, 3-3 CCC) swept the Saturday doubleheader over College of Idaho (11-14, 3-7 CCC) by 1 run in each game. Tech used a strong outing from Jesse Dunham in Game 1, and a strong offensive showing in Game 2 to clinch the sweep. In Game 2, Nevan Watanabe was plunked by a pitch in the Bottom of the 10th, with the bases loaded that walked it off for Tech.
 
"Proud of our guys today," said head coach Jacob Garsez. "Great team wins. Energy was fantastic and everyone contributed. We look forward to coming back out tomorrow with a continued commitment to compete together."
 
Game One: Oregon Tech 3 College of Idaho 2
 
Game 1 was a rubber match between OIT and College of Idaho. The starting pitchers for both sides combined for 15 innings of work, only giving up a lone earned run each.
 
Tech capitalized early on off a mistake by the COI starting pitcher, Dimick Wood. Wood balked in the Bottom of the 2nd inning, which plated Mitchel Swanson for the Owls.
 
COI would draw level in the Top of the 3rd Inning, plating a run off of a Sacrifice Fly.
 
Wood and Tech Pitcher Jesse Dunham (Pictured) continued to deal on the bump, as neither offense could get across home plate from the 4th through 6th inning.
 
The Yotes however would get to Tech in the top of the 7th inning, scoring another run off of a sacrifice fly, which would give them the 2-1 lead.
 
In the bottom of the 8th, with 2 outs, Dalton Daily would use the long-ball to plate Kaleb Keelan and give the Owls the lead for good. The HR for Daily was his 4th of the year, a team-high.
 
Dunham's day would be over after 8 innings of work where he only gave up 1 earned run on 6 hits while striking out 4.
 
Senior Trask Telesmanich would come on in the 9th for Tech with the opportunity to get a save. He would do just that, but not without COI putting the pressure on the Owls. The Yotes got the bases loaded with 2 outs in the 9th, but Daily recorded the 3rd out by barely throwing out the Yote runner at 1st to clinch the victory.
 
Telesmanich would earn the save throwing 1 inning, giving up no runs, no hits, walking 3 batters, and striking 1 out.
 
The Owls were led at the plate by Daily who went 1-4, but had 2 RBIs on the go-ahead HR. Swanson, Malcolm, Watanabe, and Tarakchyan all added a hit for the Owls as well.
 
Game Two: Oregon Tech 8 College of Idaho 7 (10)
 
The game got off to a very familiar theme that Tech has adopted at home so far this year, scoring in the Bottom of the 1st. The Owls scored 2 runs off of a pair of RBIs from Micah Jio and Mitchel Swanson.
 
After going ahead 2-0 in the 1st inning, the game settled into a groove. COI's 3rd pitcher of the game, Silus Shumate, and Tech's starter Dylan Grogan threw three consecutive scoreless frames from the 2nd through 4th inning.
 
However, this would be the end of scoring droughts for each side.
 
The visiting Yotes would grab 2 runs in both the top of the 5th and top of the 6th to go ahead 4-2 over the Owls. Tech would grab a run in the Bottom of the 6th on a Kellen Mendez RBI, which cut the deficit to 4-3.
 
In the 7th inning, the Owls would reclaim a 2 run advantage, scoring 3 runs in the bottom half.
Dunham got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Alex Malcom plated a run on the fielder's choice, and Mendez had his 2nd RBI of the day on a single. Through 7 innings, Tech led 6-4.
 
In the top of the 8th, the Yotes would tie the game on a RBI groundout and a solo HR off the bat of Jonah Hultberg.
 
The Owls would respond in the bottom of the 8th though, and reclaim the lead at 7-6. It took a Mitchel Swanson RBI single that plated Jio to go back on top.
 
In this back-and-forth affair though, the game was far from over. In the top of the 9th inning, Dalton Daily came on to try and get the save, but the Yotes hit an RBI double, which would eventually send this game to extra innings.
 
Cody Dubray would pitch a scoreless top of the 10th inning that gave the Owls a chance to win in the bottom half.
 
And that they did. Watanabe got plunked with the bases loaded, which would walk in the final run, and the winning run for Oregon Tech.
 
The starter for OIT, Dylan Grogan had a strong bounce-back start for the Owls as he pitched 4 ⅓ innings, giving up 2 earned runs on 4 hits, walking 5, while striking out 7.
 
The winning pitcher for OIT was Cody Dubray who pitched an inning of relief, allowing 0 runs of 1 hit and striking out 1.
 
The losing pitcher for COI was Jared Bowman who pitched 2 ⅓ innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits, while walking 4, striking out 3 and plunking 1.
 
OIT will return to play tomorrow to face off against COI in two more games in this 4 game series at Kiger Stadium starting at 11:0 am.
 
Oregon Tech campus administration will be limiting the number of spectators allowed in our athletic home venues. With our limited venue capacity, we are prioritizing our Oregon Tech student athletes' family members. Oregon Tech is following current Klamath County guidelines which have recently moved into the Moderate Risk category. Moderate Risk allows for a small number of people to be allowed inside venues. Masks and social distancing will be required at all times.
 
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