GLENDALE, Ariz. – The College of Idaho used an offensive onslaught to tally a combined 29 hits and 24 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Arizona Christian on Saturday afternoon.
In Game 1, the Yotes (2-2) scored at least a run in all but one inning to win 16-6, while C of I shut down the Firestorm (2-2) bats to take Game 2 by a final of 8-0 in five innings.
C of I scored early and often in the opener, starting with a
Kaily Christensen single to score
Haley Loffer in the top of the first.
It was just the start of what would be a huge day for Christensen, a freshman from Woodland High in Washington. Batting in the cleanup position, she would set a school record with five hits while adding two RBI and scoring a pair of runs in just her third game at the collegiate level. Christensen becomes the first player in program history since
Molly Mills in 2013 to have five hits in a game.
The Yotes went on to add another run in the second, four runs in the third, two runs in the fourth and two runs in the sixth before building separation with a six-run outburst in the top of the seventh inning.
In that seventh inning,
Kylie Smith singled up the middle to score
Sydney Zachry from second and
Annie Polster was walked with the bases loaded to bring in Smith.
With the bases still full of Yotes, sophomore
Hattie Hruza smashed a grand slam to make it 16-6, which would go on to be the final.
Hruza finished 4-for-5 with five RBI at the plate, tying Dani Villyard for a school record with nine total bases for the game.
Smith and
Trystin Crofts contributed three hits each while combining for seven runs.
C of I finished with 18 hits, which is the second-highest total ever for the program behind a record 19 that has been reached on three separate occasions. The seven doubles for the Yotes also marked the second-highest individual game total in program history. It was the first time since Feb. 17, 2018 against Willamette that C of I plated more than 15 runs in a contest.
Right-hander
Hannah McNerney (1-1) earned the win in the circle for C of I, working five innings and allowing six hits and three earned runs.
Sophomore
Lexi Navarrete came on in relief to record the final out of the sixth inning and twirled a scoreless seventh as well to earn her first save.
In Game 2, Yotes starter
Katelyn Wilfert (1-1) made sure the outcome was never in question, pitching a complete game two-hit shutout to earn the win. Wilfert struck out seven in just five innings.
Christensen continued her strong day right out of the chutes in the second game, starting the scoring in the first with a single through the left side to score Crofts before coming around to score herself on a throwing error by ACU starter Helen Hayes (1-1).
Up 2-0 in the third, Christensen singled again to bring Crofts home, making it 3-0.
Crofts returned the favor with a two-RBI single of her own in the fourth to plate Loffer and
Lysette Villegas.
Not content with a 5-0 lead, the Yotes added three more runs in the top of the fifth in the form of
Payton Bates,
Lacie Miller and
Micha Fortune.
Crofts went 2-for-3 at the plate with three RBI to lead C of I. Christensen followed up her five-hit performance from the opener with two hits and two RBI in the second game. Fortune had two hits and scored the run in the fifth.
The Yotes are back in action on Monday with a doubleheader at Ottawa University of Arizona. The doubleheader is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. in Surprise.
