SALEM, Ore. – The College of Idaho saw their season end in the quarterfinals of the Cascade Conference Softball Championships, presented by U.S. Bank, as Oregon Tech used a pair of big innings late in the contest to knock off the Coyotes.
The Lady Yotes (23-23), who eliminated British Columbia earlier in the day, 10-1, held a 1-0 lead heading into the sixth inning of the late game, but OIT used a three-run sixth and a four-run seventh, to pick up the 7-1 decision.
OIT advances to meet Corban in tomorrow's semifinal – with the winner meeting unbeaten Southern Oregon in the title contest. For the Lady Yotes, the loss ended the careers of seven senior student-athletes, including All-American
Destiny Turner, who broke both the C of I's and the CCC's single-season batting average record (.521).
Early this morning, the Coyotes scored early and often against UBC (15-25) in the mercy rule ended contest. In the first, Turner singled with two outs and
Colette Robert walked, with
Hailey Chambers following with a two-run double for the early lead.
In the fourth,
Katelyn Geyer led off with a walk and moved to third on a
Martha Tooley double.
Trystin Crofts brought both home with a double – and eventually scored on a T-Bird error. Robert capped the frame with a two-run single to extend the lead to 7-0. The lead would grow to 10-0 in the sixth after Robert blasted a three-run homer.
Robert was the difference in the circle, limiting UBC to an unearned run on six hits, striking out five – while going 2-for-3 with five RBI at the plate.
Bentli Corta, Turner and Chambers all had two hits in the win.
In the final game of the session against OIT (34-14), the Coyotes took a 1-0 lead in the third as Crofts doubled, was bunted to third and scored on a
Courtney Ellis sacrifice fly.
Robert kept the Owls off the scoreboard through five innings – stranding runners in each of the first four innings. However, Tech strung together four hits in the sixth – including RBI singles from Ali Graham and Cassidy Hoaglund, to take a 3-1 lead. An inning later, Hoaglund provided the game-changing blow, a bases-clearing double that extended the lead to 7-1.
Kelly Scott did the rest, limiting C of I to just four hits and striking out four for the victory – and benefitting from 12 hits. Crofts led the Yotes with a pair of doubles.
NOTES: Turner ended the season with single-season school records for batting average (.521), slugging percentage (.851) and on-base percentage (.612); establishing career school records for batting average (.438), slugging percentage (.690), on-base percentage (.529), doubles (53), total bases (329) and walks (86).
