SURPRISE, Ariz. – After redshirting a year ago,
Martha Tooley mashed four hits on Thursday as The College of Idaho split a season opening doubleheader.
The Yotes (1-1) set a school-record for runs in a season opener in a 13-5 win in Game 1 over Park University Gilbert (0-2) before falling 6-5 against Ottawa University Arizona (3-1) in Game 2.
C of I jumped out to a fast start to begin 2020 against the Buccaneers, putting up four runs in the first.
Tooley brought home the first run of the season in the first inning with a rocket right up the middle to score
Haley Loffer from third. Freshman
Hattie Hruza then continued the frame with a base hit to bring in
Kylie Smith for her first career RBI. After C of I added another run thanks to an error by the Buccaneers,
Hannah McNerney would hit a sacrifice fly to plate Hruza, capping the inning with a 4-0 Yotes lead.
C of I took advantage of two more errors from Park in the second to add on six runs, including three unearned.
Trailing 10-0, the Buccaneers battled back with five runs in the top of the third after Meli Villarreal and Tayler Gallegos each reached base on back-to-back errors to start the inning. A pair of singles, a fielder's choice, a walk and a wild pitch brought home the five unearned runs.
A
Trystin Crofts solo homer in the third and RBI single in the fourth extended the lead to 12-5 for the Yotes, with
Lacie Miller putting the finishing touches on the season opener with a walk-off single to score
Lauren Garman in the bottom of the fifth.
Hannah McNerney (1-0) earned the win in Game 1, pitching all five innings and allowing six hits, two walks and five runs, all of which were unearned. McNerney also struck out three batters.
Smith, Crofts and
Aleah Mendiola each went 3-for-4 in the win, with Crofts adding three RBI. Tooley went 2-for-3 with a pair of runs and
Mallory Copeland and Hruza each finished 2-for-4 at the dish.
Both offenses were shut down early in Game 2 of the doubleheader against OUAZ, with C of I starter
Lexi Navarrete (0-1) and Spirit ace Bailey Coronado (2-0) each spinning shutout innings over the first two frames.
The Spirit got the scoring started with a run in the bottom of the third, which the Yotes answered immediately in the next half inning when Smith scored on a throwing error by the outfield after a Tooley single.
With the score tied at 1-1, OUAZ scored five unearned runs in the fifth to give the home team a 6-1 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Tooley continued her big day with another single up the middle to score Smith. Later in the inning, Mendiola hit a three-run blast to bring the Yotes within a run.
Coronado would shut C of I down in order in the top of the seventh to secure the win for the Spirit. The left-hander went all seven innings, striking out 11, allowing five hits and walking a pair.
Tooley finished 2-for-3 from the plate in Game 2, while Smith scored two of the five runs for the visitors.
The Yotes return to action at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow with another doubleheader in Surprise against the same two teams.
