Cool spring weather had little effect on the hot bats of the Okanagan College Coyotes during the opening weekend of their Canadian College Baseball Conference season at Elks Stadium.
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Playing host to the University of Calgary Dinos, the Coyotes connected for 41 hits and scored an equal amount of runs en route to winning three of four games.
Sophomore catcher, Jake Fischer of Edmonton, and senior shortstop, Jared Dulaba of Port Coquitlam, led the onslaught against a young Dinos pitching staff, each finishing with eight hits in the four games — Friday through Sunday. Fischer’s quick start to the season included a home run and five runs-batted-in, while Dulaba pounded out four doubles and a team-leading eight RBI.
Defensively, the OC pitching staff, backed by teammates that allowed just three errors on the weekend, finished with a respectable 3.44 earned-run average over the four games. Third-year Zach Yandeau of Plumas, Man. led the way by limiting U of C to four hits over eight innings and striking out 13 batters in Saturday’s 9-1 victory under hurling-friendly sunny skies and more seasonal temperatures.
Backing Yandeau’s superb performance was a 12-hit Coyotes attack led by Fischer and his three hits and three RBI, while second-year Liam Wyatt, senior Brandon Graham (Prince George) and Kelowna’s Davis Todosichuk contributed two hits apiece.
Meanwhile, Cole Parusinni came through with a solid outing in his starting assignment on opening-day that led to a 13-1 win. The senior righthander from Coquitlam scattered four hits and struck out seven batters over four innings.
Eleven of the Coyotes’ 13 runs came in the final two innings in the opener, with second-year Liam Wyatt, a Montreal product, providing the big blow — a grand slam homer in an eight-run eighth inning. Erik Junnola (Calgary), Jared Frew (Calgary), Fischer and Dulaba all drove in a pair of runs to help reliever Sam Stelnick (Toronto) earn the win for his three innings of work.
Another 12 hits, including three from Dulaba (two doubles and four RBI), went a long way in earning OC its third win (12-5) of the weekend in the final game on Sunday. Rookie starter, Noah Wood-Jolivet (Toronto), picked up the pitching win despite allowing four unearned runs over five innings.
In their only loss of the weekend, the Coyotes stroked another 11 hits and allowed just five, but the pitching staff yielded 11 walks in an 8-7 decision. West Kelowna’s Trevor Lofstrom hit a two-run homer in the second inning for the hosts.
The Coyotes are back in action this weekend, travelling to Nanaimo for a four-game set with the Vancouver Island University Mariners. OC plays host for a doubleheader against the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack at Elks Stadium April 8.
Photo Gallery (44 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
Photo Gallery (44 photos) on KelownaNowSports Facebook page
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