The No. 4 seed College of Idaho Yotes clawed back from an early four run deficit to edge the No. 5 seed UBC Thunderbirds 6-5 in the opening game of the Cascade Conference Championship on Friday morning in Klamath Falls, Oregon.
 
Hattie Hruza hit a 2-out, 3-run homer in the fifth to give the Yotes their first lead and complete the comeback.


 
The T-Bird bats were on display early scoring three runs in the first inning and two more in the second in building a 5-1 lead after two. Avery Hilpert and Mia Valcke each had two hits to lead a nine-hit attack that included three RBI from Valcke and two runs scored from Hilpert in the setback.
 
The Yotes were led by three-different home runs, a solo effort by Haley Loffer in the first, a two-run shot by Kylie Smith in the third, followed by the three-run blast by Hruza that decided the game in the fifth. That combined with the impressive relief pitching performance from Hannah McNerney, summoned in the second stanza before going 5.1 innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five after the 'Birds chased starter Katelyn Wilfert who gave up five earned runs in 1.2 innings pitched.
 


UBC's starting pitcher Shelby Kempel went 4.2 innings giving up five hits and five runs while striking out four before giving way to Shae Sever for the final 1.1 innings.
 
The T-Birds next play Saturday May, 7 at 11:30 a.m. against a still yet to be determined opponent