College of Idaho improved to 19-16 with a doubleheader sweep of Northwest Christian Saturday.
Yotes Sweep Beacons Behind Pair of One-Hitters
EUGENE, Ore. – College of Idaho pitchers Katie Zillner and Brooke Judy each threw a one-hitter as the Coyotes swept a Cascade Collegiate Conference double header from Northwest Christian College on Saturday, 3-0 and 4-1. Zillner struck out 13 Beacons en route to her 11th victory of the season.
The Coyotes got on the board early in game one, scoring a run in the top of the first inning. Donnae Carrell led off the game with a double to right field and she was promptly sacrificed to third by Kelsi Murdock before coming home on a passed ball.
The Beacons had a rare opportunity to score in the bottom of the fourth inning Cassie Bishop led off the frame with the lone NCC hit, a hard hit single up the middle. She stole second base and Cotie Howard followed with a walk. A passed ball moved the runners to second and third with just one out, but the rally was cut short as Ziller K’d the next two batters.
The ‘Yotes added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning. With one out, Stephanie Stover was hit by a pitch and Carrell stepped up with her first triple of the season to score the run. Carrell later came home on an RBI single by Zillner.
Megan McLearn (1-14) took the loss for the Beacons despite a second straight respectable outing. She allowed seven hits but just one earned run in the complete game loss. Zillner improved her record to 11-7 while upping her season strikeout total to 174 in 108.1 innings of work.
The ‘Yotes once again jumped out to an early lead in game two, as Daniyelle Villyard stroked a first-inning three-run homer to left field. NCC then scored their only run of the afternoon in the bottom of the third inning. Bishop walked to open the inning and advanced to second on a Lissa Hatefi groundout. Bishop moved to third on a ground ball and was brought home on an RBI groundout to second base by Howard.
The College of Idaho answered with a run in the top of the fourth as Carrell scored on an error. With C of I grasping a three-run lead, the game was called in the top of the sixth inning with two outs. After a 20-minute delay to wait out a hail storm, it was determined that the field was in too poor a playing condition to continue.
Northwest Christian (9-28, 2-16 CCC) returns to action tomorrow, weather permitting, as they play host to Walla Walla University at 1:00 pm. The College of Idaho (19-16, 8-10) returns to Caldwell to play a double-header with Southern Oregon University on Friday afternoon.