CALDWELL, Idaho –
Katie Rowe went 4-for-7 with a homer and seven RBI, helping the College of Idaho to a key doubleheader split with No. 23 ranked Corban University at Symms Field.
The visiting Warriors (20-11, 6-4 CCC) jumped out to a 6-0 lead in a 7-4 victory in Game 1, but the Yotes used an 8-run third inning to earn a 12-4 run-rule win in the night cap. It marked the fourth-straight twinbill split for the Lady Yotes (10-9-1, 4-4) to open the Cascade Conference season.
In Game 2, C of I jumped on Corban starter Allie Mendez in the first – as Rowe delivered a two-run single and
Jodie Hoagland beat out a two-out RBI infield single to grab a 3-0 lead.
Two innings later, C of I sent 13 batters to the plate in their biggest inning of the 2016 season. Rowe started the onslaught with an RBI single, with pinch-hitter
Alex Kordopatis following with a two-run single to extend the lead to 6-0. An
Angelina Romero sacrifice fly was followed by a two-run
Destiny Turner single to make it 9-0, with Rowe capping the big inning with a two-run double.
The Warriors cut the gap to 11-4 in the fourth on a Mendez grand slam homer to center, but Romero gave C of I the Yotes an eight run lead in the bottom of the inning with an RBI ground out.
Cortni Pena closed out the victory with a strikeout – as the Coyotes won in five innings for the first time this season.
Rowe was 3-for-3 with five RBI and Turner was 2-for-3 with two RBI – with seven different C of I hitters recording a hit and five scoring two runs. Pena logged her fourth win, working around six hits – striking out four. Six different CU batters had one hit, with three pitchers surrendering a combined four walks and three hit-by-pitches.
The opener saw the Warriors sprint to a six-run lead after two and a half innings. Taylor Eilders hit the first pitch of the game into the gap for a triple, scoring on an Iris Rodriguez RBI single. Raina Reece followed with an RBI double to make it 2-0.
Corban extended the margin to 5-0 in the second on a C of I error and a two-run, pinch-hit double from McCayla Hoffman; adding another in the third on back-to-back doubles from Mendez and Paige Martin.
C of I would chip away at the deficit, as Rowe hit a long two-run homer in the third and
Tess Willis lined a two-run double in the sixth to cut the gap to 7-4. However, with the tying run at the plate, Jessica Holsinger got Kaitlyn Geyer to line out to end the threat and Mendez tossed a 1-2-3 seventh to notch a save.
Rodriguez went 3-for-4 to lead the Warriors, with Reece, Mendez and Martin all recording two hits. Holsinger got the win, allowing seven hits and striking out six in six innings.
Bentli Corta was 2-for-3 the loss for C of I, with reliever
Ali Longoria tossing four shutout innings, allowing just three hits.
C of I closes out the homestand tomorrow morning with an 11 a.m. doubleheader vs. Northwest Christian.
NOTE: The Yotes had two wins added to their record today, as NAIA levied forfeit victories for last Friday's doubleheader at Walla Walla that was canceled. C of I will also earn two wins in April when the return date with WWU would have been played.
