KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The College of Idaho staved off elimination with a 7-6 victory over No. 1 seed Oregon Tech before falling to Southern Oregon, 9-1, in the Cascade Conference Championship game Sunday at Stilwell Stadium.
The Yotes (34-20) put together a resilient run through the bracket, highlighted by their first win of the season over Oregon Tech and a trip to the title game, where they ultimately fell to the defending NAIA national champions.
In the elimination matchup, College of Idaho erased an early 3-0 deficit with a two-run home run from Isabella Fazzio in the second, then surged ahead with a four-run stretch across the fourth and fifth innings.
Fazzio led the offensive charge, going 2-for-3 with a home run, a double and three RBI, while Hallie Campbell added a two-hit performance that included a solo home run in the sixth to provide a key insurance run. Madelyn Powell and Alyssa Melendez each drove in runs as the Yotes capitalized on timely hitting.
Oregon Tech threatened in the seventh, pulling within one on a two-run single from Nita Cook, but Kina Watts closed the door in relief to secure the win after earning the victory in the circle over the No. 2 team in the NAIA.
The win pushed College of Idaho into the championship game against NAIA No. 6 Southern Oregon, where the Raiders struck early and often.
Southern Oregon (41-13) took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run home run from Ari Williams and extended it to 5-0 in the second behind a two-run shot from Brooke Nordahl.
The Yotes answered in the bottom half of the second when Lena Zahniser launched a solo home run, and later created scoring opportunities with runners in scoring position but were unable to break through.
After an hour-long lightning delay halted play, Southern Oregon pulled away in the sixth inning, plating four runs on a three-run home run by Avery Coffin and a solo shot from Kierstin Grotewiel.
College of Idaho recorded five hits in the title game, with Chloe Flerchinger leading the way with two, while Madelyn Powell added a double. Zahniser accounted for the lone RBI.
Despite the final result, the Yotes showed resilience throughout the tournament, recording wins over every team in the field, the only squad they could not overcome was Southern Oregon.
Throughout the tournament Kina Watts anchored the Yotes both in the circle and in the field, earning four wins during the tournament with a 1.25 ERA across 22.1 innings while also contributing defensively at shortstop. Offensively, Chloe Flerchinger paced the lineup with a .563 batting average (9-for-16), adding two doubles and three RBI while reaching base at a .571 clip.
