COLUMBUS, Ga. — In an NAIA Softball World Series has seen no upsets through the bracket, No. 7 College of Idaho's run came to a close Monday morning with a 6-0 loss at South Commons Complex.
The Yotes' third game of the tournament began Sunday evening but was halted in the top of the first inning with two outs and Kina Watts aboard following a walk due to worsening weather conditions. Play resumed nearly 16 hours later, but College of Idaho was unable to reheat the bats.
The opposition struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning and continued to add on with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to build a six-run advantage.
College of Idaho (38-22) was limited to four hits, with Chloe Flerchinger leading the way with a 2-for-3 performance. Kamryn Ham and Hallie Campbell each added a hit as the Yotes stranded eight runners.
Watts (11-4) took the loss after allowing three runs in the opening frame prior to the delay, while Drew Williams provided 5.1 innings of relief, allowing three runs, two earned.
In the later innings, College of Idaho turned to its senior class, allowing the group that helped guide the program back to the national stage one final opportunity to compete together on the World Series field. Ysabella Villegas and Emily Hughes entered in the field then both got an at-bat while Rylee Smith recorded the last out of the game and her career in the circle.
Despite the result, the Yotes' postseason run marked a historic step forward. This College of Idaho team became the first crew in program history to advance to the NAIA World Series with a 3-0 record through the Opening Round and made its first appearance at the final site since 2021.
After finishing 13-12 in Cascade Conference play, the Yotes surged through the conference tournament to earn an automatic bid and carried that momentum onto the national stage.
College of Idaho will look to build on the experience moving forward as it prepares to replace a senior class that includes Madelyn Powell, Chloe Flerchinger, Lena Zahniser, Rylee Smith, Grace Neer, Ysabella Villegas and Emily Hughes.