Lady Yotes Lose Heartbreaker in World Series Opener
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Andrea Whelan lined a solo home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, providing the lone run of the game, as Lindsey Wilson defeated College of Idaho, 1-0, at the NAIA Softball World Series.
The home run by the No. 10 ranked Blue Raiders (49-9) was their only hit of the game, as Jordan Hood limited C of I to just four hits to move on to face Auburn Montgomery tomorrow.
Nickayla Skinner was the story for the Lady Yotes (33-17), striking out 10 of the first 12 batters of the game – finishing with a career-high tying 15 strikeouts. The senior took a perfect game two outs into the eighth inning before hitting Abbi Goedde with a two-strike pitch, then had her no-hit bid broke up on Whelan's long ball, the 86th of the season by LWC.
The Yotes had chances as Hood walked four batters and allowed four hits, while advancing a runner to second base on four occasions, but never had a runner reach third – as C of I hit into a pair of double plays and did not advance a runner to third. Alexis Macias led off the bottom of the ninth with a double, but was unable to advance.
Katie Rowe was 2-for-3 in the loss for C of I, who will meet third-ranked Olivet Nazarene at 1 p.m. (EDT) tomorrow in an elimination game.
NOTES: Skinner now has 256 strikeouts this season, surpassing her school record of 247 set last year…Skinner tossed her seventh one-hitter of her career and is now 6-1 in one-hit games…Skinner equaled her career-high of 15 strikeouts – set against Eastern Oregon in 2011, one off Katie Zillner's school record of 16 strikeouts (vs. Northwest Christian in 2008)…it was Skinner's 32nd game with 10 or more strikeouts…it is the fourth-straight one-run game to open a national tournament (outside of the C of I Bracket) – Yotes lost to Trevecca Nazarene, 2-1, in 2008 NAIA Championships Pool Play; defeated Martin Methodist, 3-2, in 2009 NAIA Championships Pool Play; defeated St. Gregory's, 1-0, last year in Irvine Opening Round Bracket (on a Skinner 1-hitter)…it was the fifth time LWC had been held to one-run, with it the second 1-0 victory by the Blue Raiders this season.