CALDWELL, Idaho – A split with Carroll on Saturday at Symms Field moved The College of Idaho into first place by themselves in the Cascade Conference.
In the first game, which was the countable contest for the conference standings, the Yotes (22-8, 12-0 CCC) topped the Fighting Saints (7-16, 3-9 CCC) by a score of 10-2 in five innings. The second game went to Carroll 3-1.
The win in the opener extended the C of I school-record win streak to 16 games, which spanned all the way back to Feb. 28.
After Kaitlynn Ayers hit a solo homer to give the Fighting Saints a 1-0 lead in the top of the second of the first game, the Yotes responded with back-to-back run-scoring singles up the middle in the bottom half off the bats of
Micha Fortune and
Mallory Copeland to take a 2-1 lead.
Three bunt base hits by C of I in the third inning led to four runs on three hits and an error. The scoring started with a
Kaily Christensen bunt base hit towards first base to plate
Haley Loffer, who had previously reached on a bunt of her own.
Hattie Hruza later hit a sacrifice fly to center, followed by a two-run error when Carroll pitcher Abby Hanley fired a throw over the first baseman on a ball hit off the bat of Fortune.
Carroll picked a run up in the top of the fourth, but gave up four more to the Yotes in the bottom half to make it 10-2. Loffer led off the frame with a single to the right side of the infield, followed by a
Kylie Smith double to the gap in left-center to score her. Christensen then continued her strong day with a two-run double. She would later score on a throwing error.
Annie Polster (7-0) once again picked up the win, yielding just three hits and one earned run in five innings.
Christensen finished 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs. Loffer, Smith and Fortune each added a pair of hits.
The Fighting Saints utilized the long ball to take the second game of the doubleheader, with Ayers and Haley Kampka hitting back-to-back jacks in the second to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead.
Carroll tacked on one more on a Kampka bases loaded walk in the third.
Reliever
Katelyn Wilfert was outstanding for the Yotes over the final five innings, striking out 10 and giving up just two hits while not allowing a run.
Sarah Jenkins (2-4) picked up the win for the Fighting Saints, allowing just six hits and a run over the full seven innings in the circle.
C of I scored a run in the fourth on a Christensen double to left-center to bring in
Trystin Crofts.
Aleah Mendiola went 2-for-3 at the plate in the loss.
Combined with an Oregon Tech win over Southern Oregon, the Yotes moved into the top spot all by themselves in the CCC standings. C of I is the lone remaining unbeaten team in conference action.
The Yotes head to Eugene to play Bushnell next Friday and Saturday.
