GLENDALE, Ariz. – The No. 13 College of Idaho softball team started its season, sweeping a doubleheader from (RV) Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), 2-1 and 10-0 (five innings). The second game saw senior pitcher
Katelyn Wilfert strikeout one in her second career no-hitter, who also was the last Yote to throw a no-hitter when she held Warner Pacific without a hit on February 25, 2022. In the doubleheader sweep, the Yotes had 13 hits to just four by the Eagles.
Tanner Higgins led the attack with three hits for College of Idaho, plus
Hattie Hruza,
Madelyn Powell,
Haley Loffer and
Makenna Luke each had two hits. The stifling pitching effort was not just by Wilfert as game one starter
Hannah McNerney went the distance and struck out five for the win.
Game 1
The season opener for the two nationally-ranked teams saw College of Idaho push across a run in the fourth and fifth and McNerney and the Yotes withstand a late threat by the Eagles in the seventh. Five-different Yotes had a hit in the win in game one.
With the game scoreless in the fourth inning,
Kaylee MacDannald led off the inning being hit by a pitch. She managed to move into scoring position, stealing second; then she went to third on a wild pitch with one out. Then, with two out,
Hattie Hruza drove in the first run of the season with a RBI single. College of Idaho added to its lead in the fifth with another run.
Makenna Luke led off the inning with a single. Then, with one out, she moved into scoring position on a ground out. With two aboard, an error by the Eagles on a ball hit by
Haley Loffer brought in Luke to put C of I ahead 2-0.
With a 2-0 lead, College of Idaho stranded a pair of runners in the sixth inning. The Eagles mounted a rally in the seventh with a double to start the inning. Then, a RBI single cut the deficit to one, 2-1 and had the tying run aboard. Another single by ERAU put runners on first and second with none out. Then, McNerney got out of the jam because of the play by her teammate
Kaylee MacDannald, who was making her first career start at second. MacDannald recorded a put out and successfully fielded a pair of ground balls for a pair of fielder's choice to seal the win.
Game 2
The nightcap saw the Yotes settle into the sunny temperatures with the no-hitter by Wilfert and the bats come alive with eight hits. College of Idaho plated five runs in the third, add three more in the fourth and two in the fifth to complete the 10-0 win in five inning win.
Haley Loffer and
Tanner Higgins each had two hits and
Hattie Hruza drove in a pair to lead the offense.
Five runs on three hits in the third inning ended a scoreless contest as College of Idaho went ahead 5-0. Then, they added to the lead with three runs on three hits – two of the runs came in on a two-run home run by Hruza in the fourth. The Yotes put the finishing touches on the sweep in the fifth with two more runs on just one hit – a RBI double by Loffer.
Wilfert missed out on a perfect game, when she hit a batter in the third but her defensive came back with a double play to erase any threat by the Eagles.
College of Idaho will resume its season-opening trip with a trip to Arizona Christian on Saturday for a doubleheader.
