ASHLAND, Ore - The College of Idaho wrapped up it's series with No. 1 Southern Oregon.
Game 1 Southern Ore. 5, College of Idaho 2
Facing off against powerhouse No. 1 Southern Oregon, the No. 23-ranked Yotes delivered a gritty performance, clawing back late but ultimately falling 5-2 in a showdown that showcased the heart and hustle of the underdog squad.
Southern Oregon flexed its muscle early, capitalizing on a two-run homer by Nordahl in the bottom of the second and piling on two more runs in the third behind the bat of Lang, who tripled in a run after driving in another on a sacrifice. A defensive miscue in the fourth allowed the Raiders to pad their lead to 5-0.
But the Yotes didn't fold.Trailing by five in the sixth, College of Idaho sparked life when Kate Crosby reached on a fielder's choice and promptly stole second. Audrey Sweet laced a clutch RBI single down the left field line, putting the Yotes on the board and swinging momentum toward the visitors.
In the seventh, Madelyn Powell ignited another rally with a scorching triple to right center. Chloe Flerchinger followed with a deep fly to center, plating Powell and narrowing the gap to three. The rally brought the tying run to the on-deck circle, sending a jolt of energy through the Yotes' dugout—but the late surge wasn't quite enough.
Game 2 Southern Ore. 8, College of Idaho 5
The Yotes found themselves in a three-run-hole early on. Then the Yotes unleashed a barrage of offense in the third and fourth innings to take a stunning 5–4 lead over the Raiders. Walker's RBI single scored Sweet who reached on a double. Moments later, Nixon ripped an RBI double to left, to bring the game within one. In the fourth, College of Idaho surged ahead— Brinley Iverson drove in a run with a groundout, Sweet slapped another RBI single, and Powell capped the frame with a right-side RBI knock, pushing the Yotes ahead 5–4.
But the Raiders didn't reach No. 1 by folding under pressure.
Southern Oregon answered with a game-tying sac fly in the fourth, then dealt the decisive blow in the sixth—scoring three runs to seal the victory.
Despite the loss, the Yotes racked up 10 hits and executed with surgical precision on the bases. Nixon stole a bag, Lierman ripped a double, and Crosby, Vahlberg, and Ham each helped generate pressure on Southern Oregon's defense.
Up next, the Yotes look to rebound during senior weekend in a series against No. 2 Oregon Tech. The first of a four game series will start on April 25th at 2pm at Symms Field in Caldwell, Idaho.
