Photo by Jeff Barrett
The Utah State University Eastern Eagles totaled five home runs on the second day of last weekend’s series, sweeping the Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC) Spartans in the final two games.
CNCC scored two runs in the top of the first to get the game started, but Dakari Armendariz drove a three-run home run to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead after the first inning.
Eastern scored five runs in the bottom of the fourth to take command of the game. Luke Erickson smashed a two-run homer before Tyler Nelson and Vaughn Deming scored on an Armendariz single. Armendariz would later score on a Conner Bancroft RBI double to make it an 8-2 Eastern lead.
A Tyler Nelson RBI sacrifice fly and an Armendariz RBI single gave Eastern a 10-2 lead after the fifth inning. The Spartans added a run in the top of the seventh, but the Eagles closed the game with a 10-3 victory.
Ky Decker got the start on the mound and earned the complete-game victory. Decker struck out ten batters while allowing just three runs. Armendariz led Eastern with a 3-3 day and six RBIs. Seven different Eagles recorded a hit in the dominating victory.
The series finale, game four, had a similar start to that of the previous. CNCC scored a run in the top of the first, but Armendariz answered with another three-run home run. Kaden Davis added an RBI single to score Bancroft, then Ty Barker doubled to score Davis. Eastern took a 5-1 lead after the first inning.
Barker would continue his hot streak in the bottom of the third with a solo home run, pushing Eastern’s lead to 6-1. Eastern then erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 13-1 lead. Deming hit an RBI single, followed by a Nelson RBI triple. Bancroft kept the rally going with a two-run homer to left. Davis Kirby hit a two-run double and then scored on an Erickson RBI single.
Colorado Northwestern scored three in the fifth and three more in the seventh to make the game 13-7. Gavin Douglas hit an RBI single to center, scoring another Eastern run, extending the lead to 14-7.
CNCC made things interesting in the top of the ninth, but Eastern closed the door, earning the 14-12 victory and winning the season series.
“These were important wins for us in the aspect of conference play,” said head coach Kirk Haney. “Winning these games allows us to control our own destiny when it comes to making the postseason conference tournament. We still have work to do, but we are in a better position now after this weekend.”
The Eagles currently sit at 14-22 on the season and 10-14 in conference play. They currently sit in the fourth seed, just two games behind the College of Southern Idaho for third.