Caldwell, Idaho | The Warner Pacific University Softball team (1-5, 0-2) kicked off the Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) Regular Season on Friday, where they dropped the opening double header on the road to the #2 College of Idaho Yotes (12-2, 2-0), falling in five innings in both games by a duplicate final score of 0-8.
 
Game 1
 
In their first conference games of the 2022 CCC regular season, Warner Pac Softball struggled to find an offensive identity throughout the entirety of the afternoon.
 
After a one out single in the first inning by junior third baseman Savannah Roddey, the Knights wouldn't find their way on base via a hit again for the remainder of the day. More notably, Roddey reaching base in the first inning of game one would be the only baserunner for the opening contest, as Yotes' starting pitcher Hannah McNerney (5-1) sat down each Warner Pacific student-athlete in order following her only hit allowed today.
 
Meanwhile, a Yotes' squad that was riding an eight-game winning streak coming into today found plenty of scoring in their offense, with four runs in the bottom of the first and second innings of game one to take an early commanding 8-0 run lead. The top of C of I's lineup did all of the heavy lifting in game one, as the first five batters were the only ones to reach base on their own accord via a hit.
 
Knights' starting pitcher Sammie Brauckmiller (0-3) had her pitches being seen extremely well by the Yotes' hitters, as the eight runs she allowed in the first two innings were the most to open a game for her this season. Brauckmiller went on to allow seven earned runs in 4.0 innings of work, striking out a pair of Yotes along the way.
 
McNerney earned her fifth win of the season by pitching 5.0 innings of one-hit ball, walking no batters and striking out five Knights. Yotes' centerfielder Hattie Hruza batted a perfect 2-for-2 with a run scored and three RBIs, while first baseman Tanner Higgins collected two hits, two runs, and two RBIs as well.
 
Game 2
 
After a rough game opener of offense to begin the day, it didn't appear that things couldn't possibly get much worse for Warner Pacific's scoring/baserunner drought. Unfortunately, that turned out to be incorrect, as the Knights were held hitless in the game two of today's doubleheader, with the only baserunner coming off a College of Idaho error from shortstop Haley Loffer.
 
With Knights' junior first baseman Emma Foster reaching base via the error in the top of the second inning, Warner Pacific was once again stymied in their offensive capabilities. This time, it was Yotes' starting pitcher Katelyn Wilfert (3-1) who pitched a gem for C of I, striking out seven Knights over a complete shortened game of 5.0 innings pitched, allowing no hits and no walks, and just one baserunner thanks to the error in the second inning.
 
Knights' starting pitcher Abby Carlson (1-2) had her stuff located early and often as well by the Yotes' batters, giving up six runs in the bottom of the first two innings, then two additional runs in the fourth and fifth innings to enact the eight-run rule, ending the contest early.
 
Higgins added two runs and an RBI on one hit in game two for the Yotes, while second baseman Kylie Smith recorded two hits on three at-bats with two runs and two RBIs in a complete 5.0 innings played in the 4-hole.
 
The Knights return to action for an early Saturday morning double header matinee against the Yotes, where the first game is set for first pitch at 11am MT, with game two beginning promptly afterwards around 1pm MT.