Dani Villard drove in the Yotes' lone run in the third inning vs. TNU
NAIA World Series: C of I Drops Pair on Day 1
DECATUR, Ala. -- Day 1 for The College of Idaho softball team at the 2008 NAIA Women's World Series is in the books, with the Lady Yotes managing just six hits overall in a pair of losses to Top-10 teams at Wilson Morgan Softball Complex.
After waiting two hours in the morning for field conditions to improve, the Coyotes lost a tough 2-1 decision to Trevecca Nazarene, then lost a 6-1 ball game to Lubbock Christian in an evening battle.
The Yotes sit tied for fourth in Pool D after the day, as both TNU and LCU are at 2-0, Olivet Nazarene is at 1-1, with Friends and C of I at 0-2. The top-two teams in each of the four pools advance to Monday's double-elimination bracket play.
Strikeouts hurt the Yotes chances in the two games, as The C of I whiffed 22 times, while managing just one extra base hit. Three of the eight runs they allowed were also unearned, while no Lady Yote player recorded more than one hit on the day.
Tomorrow, the Lady Yotes meet Friends of Kansas at Noon, followed by a 7:30 p.m. match-up with No. 10 ranked Olivet Nazarene.
Trevecca Nazarene 2, College of Idaho 1: Brittany Johnson tossed a four-hitter, striking out 11 batters, as No. 5 ranked Trevecca Nazarene opened up the 2008 NAIA Women's World Series with a 2-1 victory over The College of Idaho.
Johnson helped her own cause with a two-out RBI single in the opening frame to give the Trojans (51-6), the early 1-0 lead. They'd make it 2-0 in the third, as Chelsea Bailey stole third base, recording her 47th stolen base of the season with two outs, scoring when with the throw went into left field.
The Lady Yotes, making their World Series debut, left the bases loaded in the first, but cut the margin in half in the third, as Dani Villyard roped a two-out RBI single to left, scoring Donnae Carrell from second. However, the Yotes could not get closer, as Johnson retired 13 of the final 14 batters in a row, including eight strikeouts.
Katie Zillner was solid in the loss for the Yotes, allowing just four hits, walking three, and striking out six - allowing just one hit after the third inning.
Bailey led off the ballgame with a bunt base hit and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a strikeout, Johnson laced a ball to right to score the speedster to make it 1-0. In the bottom of the frame, Kelsi Murdock was hit by a pitch with one out, with Zillner singling up the middle. After Villyard struck out, Haley Butcher was plunked to load the bases, but on a 3-2 pitch, Stacy Smith lined out to second.
TNU had a chance to break the game open in the fourth, as Johnson walked and Megan Suggs rolled a base hit. However, Zillner was able to work out of the jam, getting Melinda Patterson to ground out to end the threat.
Lubbock Christian 6, College of Idaho 1: A two-run Lisa Stratton RBI single in the bottom of the second inning broke a 1-1 tie, while Lubbock Christian pitchers retired the final ten batters in a row, as the Chaparrals upended The C of I, 6-1.
Marissa Gonzalez was stellar in the circle for the No. 9 ranked Chaps (53-9), allowing just three hits and striking out ten - allowing just one batter in scoring position after the second inning.
LCU got on the board in the first, as Raquel Hawkins hit a long home run to left field, but the Lady Yotes (27-19) countered in the second, as Smith launched a solo shot of her own to tie the game at 1-1.
However, a throwing error by starting pitcher Brooke Judy on a sacrifice bunt attempt in the second allowed a pair of runners to move into scoring position, with Stratton picking both up with a two-out single, giving the Region VI champs the lead for good.
They would tack on two more runs in the fourth, one on a Daniela Garcia RBI single and a second on a wild pitch, then tallied the game's final run in the sixth on a fielders choice.
The home run hit by Smith was her fourth of the season and the 22nd of her career.