LA GRANDE, Ore. –
Courtney Ellis broke a Game 1 tenth inning tie with an RBI infield single, helping the College of Idaho to a doubleheader split with Eastern Oregon at Peggy Anderson Field.
The Lady Yotes (6-7-1, 3-3 CCC) ended a 10-game losing streak in extra innings with the 7-6 triumph in the opening game, before EOU responded with a 10-0 victory in Game 2. It marked the first win in extra innings for C of I since a 5-3 win at Eastern in 2013.
The Mountaineers (9-14, 4-2) took advantage of 11 C of I walks in the opener, including three in the fourth inning, helping the hosts take a 4-2 lead on a Taylor Turner two-run single. The Yotes would regain the lead in the sixth, as
Ashley Pesek blasted a three-run homer to left.
EOU forced extra innings in dramatic fashion, as Alex Shuster beat out an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, plating Jamie Gerlach to tie the score at 5-5.
In the tenth, C of I broke through with the two-out RBI knock by Ellis, followed by a run-scoring single from
Destiny Turner. The Yotes would need both runs, as EOU loaded the bases with one out – but
Cortni Pena coaxed a double play ball to end the game.
Pena got the win in relief, allowing just one hit in three innings. Turner was 3-for-6 with an RBI, with Pesek going 2-for-5 with four RBI. Four other C of I players – Ellis,
Katie Rowe,
Hailey Chambers and
Kristin Paulazzo all had two hits – part of a 17-hit attack.
Game 2 was all Eastern, as Hailey Kline tossed a three-hit shutout – getting all the run support she needed in the first inning on a Lauren Burchak RBI double. Burchak would finish the game 3-for-3 with six RBI, ripping a grand slam homer in a six-run fourth inning that broke the game wide open.
Three different C of I players –
Jodie Hoagland, Turner and Chambers each had one hit for the Yotes.
The squad returns to action on Tuesday, hosting Lewis & Clark in the final non-conference doubleheader of 2016.
