REDDING, Calif. - The College of Idaho opened the 2013 season with a pair of walk-off extra inning losses, before shutting out Menlo College, 8-0, on Day 1 of the Big League Dreams Invitational.
The Yotes (1-2) lost the opener in nine innings to William Jessup, 5-4, then dropped a tough 5-4 decision in eight innings to No. 5 ranked Concordia-Irvine.
Box Score Game 1 Box Score Game 2 Box Score Game 3
Against William Jessup, the Yotes swandered leads of 3-0 and 4-3, losing on a walk-off sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning.
The Yotes broke a scoreless tie in the fourth inning, as Kaci Baldwin roped a two-out RBI single, followed by a Kayla Webb RBI single - with a third run in the inning plating on a Warrior (4-1) error. WJU rallied, as Mallory Blodgett homered in the bottom of the fourth, scoring an unearned run on a C of I error in the fifth, then tying the game in the seventh on an Alannah Johns solo homer.
Using the international tiebreaker, the Coyotes took the lead in the eighth on an Ashley Van Horne RBI single, but the Warriors answered with two outs in the bottom of the frame, tying the game on a Casey Lucas RBI single. After the Yotes stranded the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth, WJU loaded the bases with one out, winning the game on a Courtney Olson-Werling sacrifice fly.
Nickayla Skinner went 2-for-5 at the plate and took the loss in the circle, allowing six hits and striking out nine in the complete game effort. Van Horne also had a pair of hits for the Yotes.
Against the fifth-ranked Eagles (4-1), the Yotes jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first, as McKensie Stanton singled home a run. CUI would tie the score in the second on a Shainna Groom solo homer, manufacturing a pair of runs in the the fifth to take the lead.
The Yotes came back in the sixth, as Julia Henrie launched a pinch-hit, two-run homer to tie the score, with a two-out Webb single driving in the go-ahead run. Unfortunately, a Bryana Simpson two-out run-scoring single in the sixth tied the score, with Groom winning it in the eighth with a two-out walk-off single.
Cortni Pena took the loss in her collegiate debut, allowing five hits, walking five, and striking out three in the complete game. Stanton had two of the Yotes eight hits in the defeat.
Skinner took control of the night game with Menlo (4-5), tossing a complete game four-hitter, striking out 11, to get the Yotes in the win column.
An RBI single by Molly Mills and an RBI double from Briana Brace gave the Yotes a 2-0 lead in the third, with a Henrie bases-clearing double in a five-run sixth inning providing the big blow.
Skinner, Pena, and Macias all had two hits, with Henrie going 3-for-3 with four RBI for the Yotes. Mills had a hit in all three games, extending her hitting streak to 11 (dating back to last season).
The Yotes close out the weekend tomorrow with games against Arizona Christian, Simpson, and Biola.
