NAMPA, Idaho – Julia Rambo came one strike away from a no-hitter, settling for a complete game two-hitter in a 3-2 College of Idaho victory over Northwest Nazarene at Halle Field.
The win ended a C of I (12-18) four-game losing streak, including a 8-3 setback to Willamette University in today's opener.
Rambo stymied the Crusaders (4-21), working around six walks and a hit by pitch to pick up her first win in a C of I uniform.
The Yotes took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame on a Katie Rowe two-run double, but NNU answered – scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning on a Ashley Pesak sacrifice fly that was dropped on the warning track by the Yotes left fielder.
C of I regained the lead in the second inning on a Destiny Campbell RBI single – one of three hits in the game for the freshman. Rambo took over from there, not allowing a runner to third base until the seventh. After retiring the first two batters in the final inning, a walk was followed by a pinch-hit single by Morgan Thome to break up the no-no bid, with a Lily Paschal infield single loading the bases. Rambo buckled down, striking out Gatalina Schuster to end the game.
Pesek took the loss for NNU, allowing five hits and fanning five, as the Crusaders lost the season series to C of I for the 13th-straight year.
In today's opening game, Willamette (4-14) jumped out to leads of 4-0 and 6-1 – cruising to the win over the Yotes.
The Bearcats scored four times in the third – getting a RBI single by Myranda Ramirez, while a two-base error on a grounder to third plated a pair of runs to make it 3-0, and a Mallory Asaro double capping the WU rally.
C of I got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a two-out RBI infield single by Rowe, but WU extended their lead in the fourth on RBI singles from Jenna King and Ashley Pender.
The Yotes got within 6-3 in the fourth after an RBI single by Chelsea Szymanski and a RBI triple by Jodie Hoagland – but did not push a runner to third base the rest of the way.
Jade Smith used her array of off-speed pitches to earn the win, working around 10 hits, with Ramirez going 2-for-4 in the victory.
Hoagland was 3-for-4 and Szymanski added two hits for the Yotes.
C of I hits the road for the next 10 games, beginning Friday at Southern Oregon.
