ASHLAND, Ore. – The College of Idaho felt the highs and lows of walk-off games on Day 1 of the Cascade Conference Championships, presented by U.S. Bank – earning a first-round victory on a seventh inning game-winning single, only to drop a quarterfinal contest in similar fashion at University Field.
Hannah McNerney ripped the walk-off RBI single as the Yotes (36-14) defeated British Columbia, 2-1, while a seventh inning 2-out error allowed Oregon Tech to plate the winning run in a 3-2 decision to cap the day.
C of I will play an elimination game tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. (PDT) against Carroll College – with the winner meeting Corban or British Columbia at 4:30 p.m. (PDT).
In the morning match-up with the T-Birds (12-26), UBC righty Kaia Gyorfi handcuffed C of I – taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning – and worked with a 1-0 lead after a Cara Courtney RBI ground out in the second inning.
The Yotes pieced together a sixth inning rally to tie the score, as
Taylor Eakle doubled and pinch runner
Aleah Mendiola scored on a 2-out
Bentli Corta RBI single.
In the seventh, C of I won the game – as Eakle started the rally with a walk and moved to second on a passed ball. With two outs, the Coyotes called on McNerney as a pinch hitter, with the freshman rapping a shot off the left field wall to plate the winning run.
Colette Robert worked around five hits and struck out four for the victory – with four different C of I players recording one hit.
In the afternoon,
Marissa Maddox provided the muscle for the Yotes, blasting solo home runs in the second and sixth innings – her third career multi-home run game.
The No. 10-ranked Owls tied the game at 1-1 in the second on a Jacy Conklin RBI single, while in the sixth, Tech drew even as McKenna Armantrout tripled and scored on a Cierra Barkis 2-out single.
After C of I squandered a bases-loaded one-out chance in the seventh, OIT won the game in their final at bat. Conklin walked with one out and scored on a 2-out Armantrout fly ball that Maddox was unable to grab in shallow right field.
Sarah Abramson fanned nine in the victory for OIT – who will meet Southern Oregon in tomorrow's semifinals. Armantrout and Kiahna Brown each had two hits for the Owls.
Maddox and Eakle each had two hits for C of I, with McNerney going five innings allowing an unearned run on four hits, in a no-decision.
FRIDAY'S RESULTS
Game 1 – (4) Corban 4, (5) Carroll 2
Game 2 – (3) College of Idaho 2, (6) British Columbia 1
Game 3 – (1) Southern Oregon 4, (4) Corban 1
Game 4 – (2) Oregon Tech 3, (3) College of Idaho 2
SATURDAY'S GAMES
Game 5 @ 9 a.m. – (6) British Columbia vs. (4) Corban (loser eliminated)
Game 6 @ 11:30 a.m. – (5) Carroll vs. (3) College of Idaho (loser eliminated)
Game 7 @ 2 p.m. – (2) Oregon Tech at (1) Southern Oregon
Game 8 @ 4:30 p.m. – Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6 (loser eliminated)
SUNDAY'S GAMES
Game 9 @ 11 a.m. – Loser of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8 (loser eliminated)
Game 10 @ 1:30 p.m. – Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 9 (championship)
Game 11 – Thirty minutes after completion of Game 10 (if necessary)
