C of I, Concordia Split Softball Twinbill
The College of Idaho and Concordia University split a softball doubleheader this afternoon at Symms Field in Caldwell, with the Lady Yotes winning the opener, 2-1, with the visiting Cavaliers taking the nightcap, 9-5.
In Game 1, Katie Zillner was dominant in the circle for the No. 18 ranked Coyotes (10-5, 2-2 CCC), allowing just one run on three hits, striking out 11. The senior, who recorded her 19th game with ten-or-more strikeouts, eclipsed the 400-strikeout mark in her career in the victory.
The Lady Yotes got both of their runs in the fourth inning, as Haley Butcher and Dani Villyard rapped back-to-back RBI doubles off CU (6-7, 1-1) starter, Danielle Pulfrey. Pulfrey struck out ten batters in a losing effort.
Zillner went 3-for-3 in the win for the Coyotes, while Rebecca Wirkkala had an RBI single in the loss for the Cavaliers.
Game 2 was a wild affair, as CU took advantage of a school-record tying seven errors committed by the Lady Yotes, to salvage the split.
The Cavs used a five-run fourth inning to open the scoring - loading the bases on a trio of C of I errors, then getting a two-run single from Sam Deline and a two-run triple from Kari Mabe to take the big lead.
Trailing 7-1 in the sixth, the Yotes made it interesting, as Villyard hit her team-leading fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot - part of a four-run frame, to close within two. However, CU took advantage of two more C of I errors to get two runs back in then seventh and close out the win.
Janelle Cristofaro got the win for the Cavaliers, retiring the first 13 batters of the game in a row, to improved to 2-2 on the season. Deline and Mabe each had three hits in the victory, while Stacy Smith had two hits in the loss for the Lady Yotes, who had their 12-game home win streak snapped.
Tomorrow, the Lady Yotes continue their homestand with a 11 a.m. doubleheader against Corban College.