CALDWELL, Idaho – A 4-hit day from Matthew Ortiz wasn't enough for Oregon Tech, as The College of Idaho completed a 4-game sweep of the Owls with 7-4 and 6-1 victories at Wolfe Field.
 
The Owls (21-13, 4-4 CCC) played catch-up in the opener – but were unable to take a lead, while C of I pitchers held Tech to just four hits in the series finale.
 
"It's not about the losses this week," said OIT head coach Jacob Garsez. We have an expectation to compete with a certain identity and we got away from that."
 
C of I (18-17, 6-2) took a 2-0 lead in the opener, but OIT pulled even with single runs in the fourth and fifth. The Owls loaded the bags in the fourth, with Mitchel Swanson getting Tech on the board with an RBI hit-by-pitch and an inning later, Ian Peters singled home Ortiz from second.
 
The hosts answered with a 3-run fifth, but Peters hit a solo homer in the sixth and Dalton Daily hit a solo dinger in the seventh to get the Owls back within a run – but the Yotes bullpen retired the final seven batters to close out the game.
 
Ortiz was 3-for-5 and Daily had a pair of hits in the loss for the Owls, with C of I's Skyler Sadora going 3-for-4 with three RBI.
 
Coyote pitchers Andrew Vaughn and Ben Gaff dominated the nightcap, as Vaughn tossed six innings of 4-hit ball, with Gaff retiring 9-of-11 batters to earn a save.
 
Ortiz led off the game with a double and scored on a Kaleb Keelean single. However, the Owls mustered just one hit the rest of the game.
 
C of I took the lead for good with a 3-run first and added single runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings.
 
Ortiz, Peters, Daily and Keelean had hits for Tech, with relievers Brendan Talonen and Brodie Maloney combining for three shutout innings. Ben Dudley had two doubles and an RBI for the Yotes.
 
"It's my responsibility to expose our guys to situations that build our identity, model it and hold them accountable to it," Garsez said. "It's our players responsibility to own it. We'll spend some time this week earning the opportunity to get back to playing Tech Baseball and becoming more consistent in how we play."
 
Tech returns home Tuesday afternoon, meeting Simpson University at Steen Sports Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.