Tough weekend for OC Coyotes

It was a tough weekend for the Okanagan College Coyotes as they dropped 3 of 4 games to the first place Vancouver Island University Mariners. History has shown that the Coyotes have always struggled when they travel to Nanaimo to play and this year would be no different. The Coyotes now sit in 5th spot with a 3-5 record.

Saturday's lack of offence by the Coyotes would hurt them as they would lose 5-3 and 3-1. In game one, starting pitcher Trevor Brigden (Senior, Toronto, Ont) would throw 5 innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits, walking 4 and striking out 5. Relief Pitcher Justin Lanigan (Fresh, Cloverdale, BC) would come in relief and give up 3 runs, including a 2-run home run which would be the deciding factor in the game. Offensively, the Coyotes were walked 10 times, but could only muster 3 hits. They would leave 6 runners in scoring position.

Game two would be much of the same for the Coyotes offence, who again could only manage 3 hits. The lone RBI came from catcher Jake Fischer (Junior, Edmonton, AB) when he drove in first baseman Jared Frew (Senior, Okatoks, AB) from second base after he led off the inning with a double. On the mound, starting pitcher Chris Wyslobocki (Fresh, Toronto, Ont) would throw 8 complete innings, allowing no earned runs on 5 hits, striking out 6 and walking only one. After a first-inning error allowed the 3 runs to score, Wyslobocki settled in and dominated the rest of the game.

The Coyotes were hoping to turn around their offence on Sunday in hopes to split the weekend. In game one, the offence exploded for 11 runs but the Coyotes pitching and defence made costly errors which led to 16 VIU runs. The defence would make 8 errors in the game and the pitching staff would give up 13 walks, not a good recipe. Offensively, the Coyotes were led by Utility man Noah Wood-Jolivet (Soph, Toronto, Ont) who went 3-5 including a 2 run home run, the first of his college career. Jared Frew would also blast a 2 run homerun and would have 3 RBI in the game. Altogether the offence would combine for 10 hits.

The Coyotes would look to avoid being swept in game four and would finally put a solid game together on both offence and defence. Starting pitcher Cole Parussini (Senior, Vancouver, BC) would throw 8 shutout innings, allowing just 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 5. The VIU pitching allowed 15 walks in the final game, which the Coyotes capitalized on with 6 hits, including a 2nd innings home run by 3rd baseman Brandon Graham (Senior, Prince George, BC).

The Coyotes will now head to Kamloops on Thursday for a doubleheader against the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack. They will be back in Kelowna on Sunday, April 8th against TRU beginning at 3 p.m. at Elks Stadium.