Eastern Oregon's senior Wailana Buchanan on Senior Day at Peggy Anderson Field.
PHOTO GALLERY GAME ONE BOX GAME TWO BOX
LA GRANDE, Ore. – The College of Idaho took the final doubleheader of the season at Eastern Oregon University Tuesday, 3-1, in eight innings, and 11-2.
The Lady Yotes (24-16, 14-10 Cascade Collegiate Conference) spoiled Senior Day at Peggy Anderson Field. The College of Idaho edged the Mountaineers in an extra inning in the first game and eased to a second game victory in the nightcap.
Eastern’s Jennifer McDonnell held a no-hitter until Kayla Webb singled to right field in the top of the fifth inning. The Mountaineers had three hits through the first five innings, but neither side scored until the seventh inning.
Lady Yotes’ pinch runner, Kaci Baldwin, scored the game’s first run when she crossed home plate on a two-out wild pitch. EOU then evened the score in the bottom half of the inning when Sarah Jackson took advantage of a fielder’s choice. The Mountaineers would leave runners on second and third to end the inning.
Molly Mills gave C of I the lead back with a single up the middle that brought in Webb. The next batter, Kalie Kurdy, gave the Yotes an insurance run with a single to the pitcher that scored Nikki Shumway.
Eastern Oregon left a runner on base in the bottom of the eighth, and would leave a total of eight stranded in the game. College of Idaho left six runners on base. McDonnell and Nickayla Skinner each would throw 125 pitches. The Yotes’ Skinner tossed 85 strikes, while McDonnell had 75. Skinner threw 15 strikeouts, and McDonnell struck out four C of I batters.
Game 2 was dominated by the Yotes. The College of Idaho used a five-run second inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Nikki Shumway, to spread the margin early. Julia Henrie added her first career home run in the third inning, a two-run shot, to push the lead to 7-1.
Wailana Buchanan scored Eastern’s first run in the second inning after being brought in by a Suzie Espinoza single. McKenzie Desin was the second Mountaineer to cross the plate when Mariebeth Watanabe singled to third base.
Britney Croner was credited with the victory for the C of I. The senior struck out five EOU batters and walked two others.
Eastern’s lone senior, Buchanan, finished 4 of 8 with a pair of doubles, her 12th and 13th of her career at EOU.
The loss ends the Mountaineers season, while the victory keeps postseason hopes alive for The College of Idaho. The Yotes eliminated Southern Oregon from the playoff race and now must wait until Thursday or Friday to see if they'll be one of three teams in the CCC Tournament. The C of I needs a Corban sweep of Concordia on Thursday and a Northwest Christian sweep of Concordia on Friday, to earn the No. 3 seed in the tourney.