HATTIESBURG, Miss. – After a three home run performance wasn't enough in their morning opener, the College of Idaho fought off elimination with a gutsy performance from
Colette Robert, as the Yotes advanced to the Hattiesburg Bracket championship game in the NAIA Softball National Championships Opening Round at Fail Field.
The Coyotes (40-16) dropped a tough 7-5 decision to No. 8-ranked Vanguard in the semifinals, but earned a rematch after Robert tossed a 9-hit shutout in a 1-0 victory over host William Carey in an afternoon elimination game.
C of I will have to top VU (45-11) two times in the championship round to earn a bid to the NAIA Softball World Series in Springfield, Mo. First pitch is set for Wednesday at 11 a.m. (CDT)
In the early game, the Yotes took a 1-0 lead in the second, as
Delaney Atkins smashed the first pitch of the inning over the left field wall. The Lions answered with a pair of unearned runs in the third – as a C of I error prolonged the inning – with Tatiana Tabizon tripling home a pair, part of a 4-for-4, three RBI game.
Vanguard added four runs in the fifth – stringing together five hits, including four doubles – to extend the margin to 6-1.
The Yotes would not quit, as a
Haley Loffer lead-off homer in the sixth cut the gap to 6-2, with
Taylor Eakle ripping a 3-run homer later in the frame to pull C of I within a run.
C of I brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but couldn't get the clutch hit.
Vanessa Dwyer went the distance for VU, striking out six, while a pair of C of I pitchers combined to allow 13 hits.
Trystin Crofts and Eakle each had two hits for the Yotes.
Two hours later, the Coyotes met host WCU (37-16) for the second time in as many days – and struck for a first inning run – the lone run of the game.
Haley Loffer walked, stole second, moved to third on a ground ball and scored on a Crofts fielders' choice.
Robert did the rest – stranding 13 runners in her eighth shutout win of 2019. The Crusaders had runners at second and third with no outs in the third; the bases loaded with one out in the fifth; runners at second and third with two outs in the sixth; and the bases loaded with two outs in the seventh – but the lefty kept the host team off the board.
Haley Nations allowed just four singles and struck out six in the losing effort, with Kristen Sexton going 3-for-4 for WCU.
NOTES: C of I tied their single-season team record for home runs in the Game 1 loss, as the Yotes have hit 37 home runs in 2019…Loffer swiped two bases in Game 2, breaking the 2002 school record of Victoria DeLaRosa with her 30th and 31st stolen bases of the year…the win over WCU gave the Coyotes their first-ever 40-win season.
