ONTARIO, Ore. –
Loryn Fonger pitched six strong innings of relief – earning the win in both games – with the College of Idaho turning a school record four double plays in the Game 2 victory, as the Coyotes swept a Cascade Conference doubleheader from Carroll College at the Heinz/OreIda Softball Complex.
Fonger pitched a scoreless inning of relief in the opener, as the Coyotes (8-5, 2-1 CCC) rallied for a 7-5 win, adding five innings out of the pen in the nightcap, as C of I earned a 6-4 win to claim the weekend series. The games were moved to the campus of Treasure Valley Community College due to unplayable conditions at C of I's home field in Caldwell.
The Yotes took a 3-0 lead in Game 1 after three innings – as
Trystin Crofts tripled in the first and scored on a wild pitch, adding two in the third on RBI singles from Crofts and
Martha Tooley.
The Saints (5-4, 1-2) grabbed the lead in the middle innings – tying the game in the fourth on a two-out error that allowed a pair of runs to score and taking a 4-3 edge on a Jessica Nimmo solo homer in the sixth. C of I regained the lead in a wild bottom of the sixth – as
Lauren Gordon ripped a 2-out, 2-run pinch-hit single to give the Coyotes the lead – with the hosts taking advantage of two dropped fly balls by the Fighting Saints to add two insurance runs.
Carroll made it interesting in the seventh – as a two-out error plated a run for the Saints – with the visitors putting runners at the corners before a stellar defensive play by second baseman
Kylie Smith ended the game.
Crofts went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored in the win – with
Hannah McNerney allowing two earned runs and striking out six in a no-decision.
Natalie Sell got the final three outs for her first save. Kendall Mooney had three hits in the loss for Carroll.
Both teams scored in the first two innings of Game 2 – the Saints getting a solo homer from Anna ApRoberts in the first and a Natalie Gaber RBI single in the second – before Fonger came in and coaxed a double play ball to get out of trouble. C of I plated three in the first – as McNerney gapped a bases-clearing double – and Gordon blooped a second inning RBI single to give the Yotes a 4-3 lead.
Haley Loffer used her speed to score runs for the Coyotes in the fourth and sixth innings. The sophomore walked in the fourth, stole second and third, scoring on a Crofts sacrifice fly, while in the sixth, she walked and scored on a throwing error by the Saints – extending the lead to 6-3.
Carroll plated a run in the seventh and brought the tying run to the plate – but McNerney coaxed a ground ball out to pick up her first save of 2020.
Fonger allowed a run on six hits to earn her fourth win of the year, with McNerney and Gordon each recording two hits. Gaber and Brooke Brewer each had two hits for the Saints.
C of I hits the road next weekend for a 4-game series at Oregon Tech.
