Wildcats Knock Off Top-Seed College of Idaho to Advance to NAIA Opening Round Championship

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – A pair of home runs from sluggers Makayla Akin and Savannah Bray helped push No. 2 Baker past top-seed College of Idaho, 5-1 as the Wildcats advanced to the title game of the 2023 NAIA Softball National Championship Opening Round here Tuesday afternoon in Baldwin City.

The Wildcats will face off against College of Idaho again in Wednesday's championship after the Yotes defeated No. 3 Indiana Southeast by a score of 8-2 in the final game of today's action.

Akin and Bray each homered for the second straight game, flip-flopping roles from yesterday's game as Akin recorded a two-run home run and Bray was the one with a solo jack this time.

Parker Straight delivered the final blow against the Yotes with a two RBI base hit in the top of the seventh to seal the 5-1 victory for BU.

In the circle, it was a combined effort from starter Kira Baker and Skylar Gorrell, who came on in the fifth inning in relief of Baker. Gorrell allowed just three baserunners over the final three innings and added a couple strikeouts for her first save of the season.

In the top of the first, Kerstyn Finch drew a one-out walk to set the table for Akin's blast as the senior designated player launched a 1-0 pitch over the fence in straightaway center. It marked back-to-back home runs for Akin after she homered in her final at-bat of Baker's 3-0 victory over the Grenadiers in yesterday's game.

The Yotes used a one-out walk of their own to plate their lone run of the contest in the bottom of the third after leadoff hitter Haley Loffer reached and then came around to score on an RBI single from Lexi Navareete. College of Idaho drew a total of seven walks in the game, six of them coming against the lefty Baker.

Bray stretched the BU lead back out to two runs with her solo home run in the top of the fourth. The junior from Olathe, Kan. now has five homers in seven games this postseason to lead a Wildcats squad that has 33 home runs overall in 2023.

After Mary Grace Hess opened the top of the seventh with a double to right center, Hailey Hatfield drew a two-out walk to give the Wildcats a couple baserunners for leadoff hitter Straight, who snuck a rocket down the left field line to score both Hess and Hatfield.

Yet again, the Yotes looked to match the Wildcats' way of scoring in the home half of the seventh as Loffer led the inning off with a double and made it to third on a one-out single. But, the Wildcats were able to close out the game with an emphatic double play started by the shortstop Finch to secure Baker's spot in the championship.

In a rematch of today's game, the NAIA Opening Round Championship game between Baker and College of Idaho is set for a 12 p.m. start tomorrow at Cavaness Field in Baldwin City where the Wildcats need just one win to earn a trip to the NAIA Softball World Series.

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