CALDWELL, Idaho - The College of Idaho continued its dominance of the Canyon County rivalry with Northwest Nazarene, as the Lady Yotes swept a doubleheader tonight at Symms Field, winning 9-1 and 3-2.
Box Score Game 1 Box Score Game 2
With the wins, the Lady Yotes (12-8) improved to 34-10 in the all-time series with their Division II rivals, dating back to the start of both programs in 2002 as the hosts used a seven-run fifth inning to break open the opener and Nickayla Skinner hit a pinch-hit, walk-off RBI single in Game 2.
NNU (5-12) grabbed the early lead in Game 1, as Brianna Kinghorn lined an RBI single, but the Yotes returned the favor in the bottom of the frame, as Kayla Webb scored on a McKensie Stanton fielders' choice. The C of I would break the game open in the fifth, sending 11 batters to the plate, with a two-run single by Hannah Johnson and a two-run Skinner homer providing the big blows. An Anna Denn homer in the sixth inning ended the game due to the eight-run mercy rule.
Skinner got the win in the circle, allowing just three hits and striking out six. Molly Mills, Rachel Strong, Alexis Macias, and Webb all had two hits, with Macias extending her hit streak to 16 games.
Game 2 saw the Crusaders get a two-run double from Kinghorn in the third inning to stake NNU out to a 2-0 lead. However, the Yotes chipped away, as a Mills RBI groundout in the third cut the lead to 2-1, with The C of I tying the game in the sixth on a Paige Gabiola RBI single. In the seventh, Briana Brace reached on an error, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on the Skinner single.
Cortni Pena went the distance for the win, allowing four hits and striking out five. Kaitlin Howell had a pair of hits for the Yotes.
The C of I opens Cascade Conference play this weekend with home games against Oregon Tech and Southern Oregon.
