College of Idaho Sweeps Carroll, Win Streak at 15
CALDWELL, Idaho – The College of Idaho picked up a key sweep of Carroll on Friday at Symms Field to continue a hot start to Cascade Conference play.
In Game 1, the Yotes (21-7, 11-0 CCC) relied on a dominant start from freshman right-hander Annie Polster (6-0) to win 6-1. C of I handled the Fighting Saints (6-15, 3-8 CCC) by a tally of 10-2 in five innings to take Game 2.
Polster presented Carroll with nasty stuff right out of the chutes, striking out the first six batters she faced. She would continue to be effective the rest of the way, finishing with a career-high 11 strikeouts in a complete game effort in which she did not allow an earned run.
C of I scored first in the bottom of the second after a Kaily Christensen leadoff double. Tanner Higgins then dropped a bunt down to the mound which was fielded cleanly by Carroll pitcher Abby Hanley (3-6). Unfortunately for Hanley, her throw to first sailed over first baseman Katie Huisman, bringing Christensen in from third and advancing Higgins to second.
Carroll picked up a run of their own in the top of the fifth on a Sarah Jenkins base hit through the left side of the infield which plated Sarah Conway.
With the score even at 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Yotes loaded the bases with two outs for Mallory Copeland, who hit a ball to Jenkins at short. Jenkins would try to retire the speedy Micha Fortune at second, however Fortune beat the throw to the bag, resulting in a pair of runs coming in to score. Haley Loffer then erased any doubt with a bases-clearing triple to center to provide some cushion for Polster.
Trystin Crofts went 2-for-3 with a run in the opener.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the C of I bats found success early and often, racking up 10 runs on 16 hits while scoring two in the first, one in the second, four in the third, two in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Starter Katelyn Wilfert (7-3) didn't require as much run support as she received, as the righty allowed just four hits and a pair of runs in five innings while striking out five.
In the bottom of the first, Christensen converted on a sacrifice fly to center which scored Loffer. Higgins followed by singling up the middle to bring in Kylie Smith.
Smith returned the favor in the second with a double to the fence in left to plate Loffer.
Up 3-0, the Yotes added four more runs on five hits in the third. Hattie Hruza connected on an RBI single, Aleah Mendiola hit a two-RBI double to center and Smith tripled to bring Mendiola home.
An Emma Hamilton two-run blast in the top of the fourth brought Carroll to within 7-2, with the Yotes responding with two of their own in the bottom half on a Sydney Zachry two-run single to left.
A Crofts RBI groundout in the fifth secured the win.
Four C of I hitters tallied three hits in the victory, as Loffer, Smith, Hruza and Fortune each had big games. Loffer scored three runs and Smith finished a home run away from the cycle.
The Yotes have now extended their school record winning streak to 15 games.
The two teams return to action on Saturday at 11 a.m. for another doubleheader.