CALDWELL, Idaho – No. 23 College of Idaho celebrated Senior Day in style with a doubleheader sweep of No. 6 Oregon Tech on Saturday at Symms Field.
The Yotes (32-14, 19-5 CCC) topped the Owls (34-8, 18-6 CCC) in the opener with a 3-2 extra inning walk-off before holding on for a 3-1 victory in the second game.
In Game 1, C of I starting pitcher
Katelyn Wilfert set the tone for what would be a strong start for the right-hander right away in the first inning, setting aside the visitors in order.
Haley Loffer then connected on a well-hit triple down the line in right to leadoff the bottom half, setting
Kylie Smith up for an RBI opportunity. The senior from Coeur d'Alene would take full advantage, smashing a double to the gap in left-center to make it 1-0 Yotes.
Both pitchers held the opposition in check over the next few innings, with Wilfert escaping a big jam in the fifth to keep the C of I lead in check. With runners on second and third and just one out, Wilfert forced back-to-back lineouts to the outfield to get out of the frame unscathed.
It took until the seventh inning for the Owls to tally a run, with Logan Nunes scoring Mckenzie Staub on a groundout to the right side of the infield with the bases loaded.
OIT starter Sarah Abramson (17-5) would retire the side in order in the bottom half to force extra innings.
In the eighth, C of I reliever
Annie Polster (9-2) managed to escape a jam thanks to a back pick of Kaila Mick at third base by catcher
Mallory Copeland, who started a rundown in which Loffer eventually made the tag coming over from her shortstop position.
For the Yotes in the home half of the eighth, pinch hitter
Tanner Higgins started the inning off with a leadoff walk.
Lacie Miller would come in to run for Higgins, advancing to second on a groundout off the bat of
Micha Fortune. With one out and one on,
Hattie Hruza singled to left to put runners on the corners. Pinch hitter
Hannah McNerney was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Two wild pitches during
Aleah Mendiola's ensuing at-bat gave C of I a pair of runs, with Hruza scoring the winning run.
Mendiola went 2-for-3 at the plate in the opening victory.
The win puts the Yotes in sole possession of second place in the CCC standings by one game with just three league games to go. OIT holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
OIT began the scoring in Game 2 with a Krista Ward base hit to left-center to plate Mick from second in the first inning.
Senior
Trystin Crofts responded in a big way for the Yotes in the third, lifting a two-run homer over the fence in left-center to put C of I on top for good at 2-1.
Hruza added an insurance run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly to bring in Higgins, who had doubled earlier in the inning.
Hannah McNerney (11-6) was outstanding in relief to pick up the win, pitching a scoreless final five innings while allowing five hits and striking out three.
Loffer and Crofts had two hits each. Earlier in the day, Loffer broke her own record for runs scored in a single-season, as the junior now has 49 for the 2021 campaign.
C of I caps off the regular season next Friday and Saturday at home against Warner Pacific.
