CALDWELL, Idaho – Addy Hoskins (pictured) recorded her 99th and 100th career hits on Saturday afternoon, helping lift NCU to a split with No. 21 College of Idaho. The Beacons dropped the opener, 8-0 in five innings but rallied to take game two, 5-4.
 
GAME ONE
 
Junior pitcher Cortni Pena allowed just two hits as the College of Idaho gained a mercy-rule victory in the opener, 8-0. The Beacons were never able to get things going, but the Yotes certainly were, posting 11 hits. C of I scored two runs in the first inning and closed out the game with a four-run fifth inning, scoring all four runs without an out in the 5th.
 
Jill Suratt (1-5) took the loss for the Beacons, giving up seven earned runs on nine hits in four innings of work. Suratt and Kaeli Massetto collected NCU's two singles with Massetto also reaching on a walk.
 
GAME TWO
 
NCU was forced to play from behind in the afternoon contest after starting pitcher Sarah Lawhorn allowed two runs in the bottom of the first inning.
 
After that, both offenses stayed off the scoreboard until the top of the fifth inning when NCU gained the lead. Kaitlin Downes opened the inning with a pinch-hit single, followed by a one-out single from Suratt. Hoskins, who had singled in the first inning, tied the contest as she delivered a one-out double to left-center field, scoring both runners before advancing to third on the throw. Ashlee Cole followed with a sacrifice fly to left which brought Hoskins across the plate for the go-ahead run.
 
The Coyotes got one back in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at 3-3 on back-to-back two-out hits.
 
Then in the top of the sixth NCU would produce what would become the game-winning run, scoring two to take a 5-3 lead. With one out, two straight errors and a walk loaded the bases for the Beacons. Hoskins put down a ground ball for a force out at second base to bring Anita Singh across the plate and Cole followed with an RBI single to score Randi Kostner.
 
An RBI double by C of I made things interesting in the sixth inning, but Katie Walker came in to settle things down, forcing a double-play to end the inning. Walker went on to pitch the seventh inning, again inducing a double-play to end the game and pick up her first career save.
 
Lawhorn (1-0) grabbed her first win of the season, allowing four runs in 5.1 innings of work with one strikeout. Hoskins and Cole had two hits apiece in the contest and combined to account for all five runs batted in.
 
The Beacons quickly turn around to continue Cascade Collegiate Conference action on Tuesday, traveling to Salem to take on Corban University at 2:00 p.m.