MESA, Ariz. - College of Idaho closed out its Arizona road trip with its third straight sweep Tuesday, defeating Benedictine University Mesa 5-3 and 16-15. The Yotes used steady pitching in the opener and an explosive, resilient effort from an atypical lineup in a wild second game.
Yotes take opener behind Powell and Williams
In Game 1, Madelyn Powell homered and drove in two, and Drew Williams threw a complete-game five-hitter as the Yotes controlled the game from the start.
College of Idaho took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Kamryn Ham walked, stole second, and scored on a Kina Watts single. Powell followed with a solo home run to right. Benedictine Mesa tied the game in the third, sparked by a Shayla Young homer and a triple-steal sequence that included Emma Tufnell stealing home.
Williams settled in from there, allowing no runs over the final four innings. Powell's sacrifice fly in the fifth gave the Yotes the lead again, and Marti Anderson added a run-scoring groundout for a 5-3 advantage. Williams (4-1) struck out three and walked none on 87 pitches.
Atypical lineup powers 16-15 shootout win
Game 2 featured an unusual lineup for the Yotes, with multiple reserves, position changes, and mid-game substitutions. Even with the atypical arrangement, the lineup produced 19 hits, four home runs, and several critical late-inning answers to secure a high-scoring 16-15 victory.
Ham opened the second game with a leadoff home run, and Isabella Fazzio added a three-run shot later in the inning for a 4-0 lead. By the third inning, the Yotes led 9-0 after run-producing swings from Haiylee Reeves, Alyssa Melendez, and Watts.
Benedictine Mesa responded with scoring bursts of three runs in the third, two in the fourth, and five in the fifth, taking advantage of walks and a hit-by-pitch to tie the game at 10-10. The Redhawks moved ahead 12-11 in the sixth on a two-run homer from Leiana Madrazo.
The Yotes answered immediately. Ham delivered her third homer of the game, a two-run shot in the seventh, giving C of I a 13-12 lead. Reeves singled in two more runs, and Fazzio doubled in another to extend the advantage to 16-12.
Benedictine Mesa pushed back with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, including a two-run double from Young, but Williams, pitching in relief, collected the final outs to secure the sweep.
Ham finished the game 4-for-4 with four RBIs and four runs as well as a diving catch for the last out of the game. Reeves added three hits and three RBIs, and Fazzio finished with five RBIs. Watts added three hits, and Melendez recorded two.
The Yotes' mixed lineup produced season highs in runs and hits, extending their winning streak to six.
