SALEM, Ore. – A five-run fourth inning rally helped the College of Idaho win their opener at the 2017 Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, but the Lady Yotes were sent to the elimination bracket after an afternoon loss to regular-season champ, Corban.
Colette Robert struck out seven batters in the 5-2 victory over Eastern Oregon, however, the Lady Yotes (22-22) stranded eight runners in a 6-1 loss to Corban – sending the team to a 9 a.m. (PT) matchup Sunday morning against British Columbia. C of I will have to win five elimination games to earn the league crown – including a Sunday afternoon game against the winner of the Oregon Tech-Eastern Oregon elimination game.
In Game 1, EOU (28-18) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on a Maryssa Santi RBI double – but the Mountaineers defense let them down in the bottom of the frame.
Angelina Romero reached on an error and following a
Destiny Turner single,
Katelyn Geyer reached when her sacrifice bunt was bobbled by EOU. An out later, Robert reached when Eastern starter Hailey Kline mishandled a chopper to the circle, allowing Romero to score the tying run. Following a strikeout,
Trystin Crofts had the big blow, ripping a two-run single to left – scoring a third run and moving to third when the Mountie outfielder overran the ball. Crofts would score on a wild pitch to push the lead to 5-1.
Robert allowed a Spanier RBI single in the sixth, but stranded the tying run at the plate in both the sixth and seventh innings to earn the victory.
Courtney Ellis and Turner each had two hits for C of I, as Robert worked around eight hits for her 11th win.
In Game 2, Corban (39-9) used three two-run innings to pull away from the Lady Yotes – as Iris Rodriguez singled home two runs in the third; Sam Woodley doubled home two in the fifth; with both Rodriguez and Woodley recording RBI singles in the sixth.
The Yotes had their chances – stranding a runner at third in the first and stranding two in the fourth; finally getting on the board in the seventh when
Martha Tooley doubled and scored on a pinch-hit
Bentli Corta single.
Robert and Tooley each had two hits for the Lady Yotes in the loss.
