CALDWELL, Idaho — The College of Idaho softball team paired a dominant Saturday sweep with a meaningful cause, honoring mental health awareness in partnership with The Hidden Opponent while securing a Cascade Conference series win over Warner Pacific at Symms Field.
After splitting Friday's opening doubleheader, the Yotes (19-13, 5-7 CCC) responded with authority, taking game one 6-1 before completing the sweep with a 10-3 victory behind a balanced offensive attack.
Saturday's games were played as part of the program's Hidden Opponent initiative, highlighting the importance of mental health in athletics. The nonprofit, founded by former USC volleyball player Victoria Garrick Browne, focuses on breaking the stigma surrounding mental health while providing education, support and advocacy for student-athletes.
On the field, the Yotes set the tone early in the opener, scoring twice in the first inning before breaking the game open with a four-run fourth. Kina Watts and Lena Zahniser each drove in runs in the inning, and Madelyn Powell added an RBI single to extend the lead to 6-0.
Powell finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs, while Watts and Zahniser each recorded two hits. Audrey Sweet added a solo home run to highlight the fourth-inning surge.
Drew Williams earned the win in the circle, tossing four shutout innings and allowing just two hits. Watts closed the door with three innings of relief as the Yotes held Warner Pacific (12-18, 7-8 CCC) to just three hits. Jordyn Rosario accounted for the Knights' lone RBI with a fifth-inning single.
Game two featured an adjusted lineup for the Yotes, but the production did not slow.
After falling behind 2-0 in the second inning on a two-run single by Kiara Kamimae, the Yotes answered immediately. Alyssa Melendez doubled home a run before Kayla Vahlberg followed with an RBI single to tie the game.
College of Idaho took control in the third inning, as Katie Sturm delivered an RBI double and Olivia Asumendi added a sacrifice fly to give the Yotes a 4-2 advantage.
The Yotes put the game out of reach in the sixth, erupting for five runs. Sturm came through again with a two-run double, and Emily Hughes added an RBI single as the lead grew to 10-3.
Sturm led the offense with two doubles and three RBIs, while Hughes went 3 for 4 with an RBI. Melendez added two hits and two RBIs, and Vahlberg chipped in two hits and two RBIs in the win.
Rylee Smith went the distance, allowing three runs, two earned, on seven hits while striking out four.
The sweep not only secured the series for the Yotes but also capped a day centered on awareness, reinforcing the message that mental health matters just as much as performance on the field.
