Yotes Win Four in 24 Hours to Earn World Series Trip
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The College of Idaho won four games across the span of 24 hours to earn a trip to the NAIA Softball World Series, culminating with a 4-2 defeat of Freed-Hardeman on Wednesday night at Battle High School.
For the Yotes (42-17), Wednesday started in the middle of the night with a game that ended at 2:36 a.m. against Ottawa University of Arizona. Later in the day, C of I picked up a 6-1 win over No. 1 seed Central Methodist (50-9) in the 1 p.m. game.
C of I then forced the if-necessary game against Freed-Hardeman (41-13) by getting the bats hot in a 9-0 five inning affair before the 4-2 victory in the finale.
This is the fourth trip to the NAIA World Series in program history, as the 2021 squad joins the teams from 2008, 2009 and 2014. The 42 wins this season sets a school-record for wins in a campaign.
In the opener on Wednesday, C of I strung together four two-out hits – with a 2-run single by Micha Fortune and a run-scoring single from Katelyn Wilfert giving the Coyotes the lead.
With Wilfert putting up zeros on the scoreboard in the circle, she received a big boost in the seventh from her offense as well, as Haley Loffer hit her 11th home run of the season, a 3-run blast, to put the game out of reach.
Wilfert (17-5) limited CMU to just four hits in picking up her 17th win, while seven different C of I players recorded a hit.
A host of players made key contributions in the first game against Freed-Hardeman for the Yotes.
At the plate, Lacie Miller went 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBI. Kylie Smith added two hits as well and Hannah McNerney (13-8) pitched a complete game three-hit shutout while striking out three.
In the winner-take-all finale, Annie Polster (11-2) pitched four scoreless innings in relief to earn credit for the win, while Hattie Hruza and Micha Fortune each had two hits.
Tied at 2-2 in the sixth, an Aleah Mendiola RBI fielder's choice and a Haley Loffer sacrifice fly to plate Fortune proved to be the difference.
The game ended with a lineout off the Samantha Morgan right at Yotes third baseman Trystin Crofts, who fired a strike to Miller at first, igniting a celebratory dog pile on the field.
Two other Cascade Conference teams advanced to the World Series, including Southern Oregon and Oregon Tech. The action will take place in Columbus, Ga. from May 27-Jun. 2. The CCC has the top two overall seeds and three of the top four.
C of I enters the NAIA World Series as the No. 4 overall seed. The Yotes take on Ottawa (Kan.) on May 27 at 4 p.m. ET.