COLUMBUS, Ga. –
Katelyn Wilfert picked up her 18th win of the season in the circle as College of Idaho won 4-2 over Ottawa (Kan.) in the NAIA World Series opener on Thursday night at the South Commons Softball Complex.
Wilfert (18-5) stymied the bats for the Braves (44-6) right from the start, working five straight scoreless innings to begin her day on the way to finishing with nine strikeouts.
The Yotes (43-17) gave their right-hander support early, with
Kaily Christensen hitting a base hit to left to start the second. She would go on to score on a
Micha Fortune infield single.
Already up 1-0, C of I tacked on three more runs in the fourth. Christensen once again provided the spark, reaching base after getting hit by a pitch with one out.
Lacie Miller then connected on a hit up the middle to put runners on first and second for
Hattie Hruza. Back-to-back singles by Hruza and Fortune made it 3-0, with Hruza later scoring on a throwing error after a Fortune steal to add the final run of the day for the Yotes.
Ottawa scored their only two runs in the sixth on a two-run homer to left off the bat of Madison Bunfill.
For the contest, Wilfert kept the Braves well in check, as Ottawa only put a runner past second base in the fourth inning.
In that fourth inning, with runners on second and third with nobody out, Wilfert pulled a Houdini act by striking out the next three batters in order.
Later in the game,
Haley Loffer made an exceptional play for the Yotes in the sixth, robbing Allison Kearney of a base hit as she went full-extension out towards left field to make a diving grab on a shallow fly ball to the outfield.
At the plate for C of I, Fortune went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a stolen base. Christensen scored two runs and reached base twice.
With the win, C of I snapped a 23-game winning streak for Ottawa.
The Yotes will now await the winner of Southern Oregon and Bethany (Kan.) on Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.
