CALDWELL, Idaho – The No. 20-ranked College of Idaho softball team took No. 13 Southern Oregon out of Cascade Conference regular-season title contention while sticking the Raiders with back-to-back losses Saturday afternoon, 1-0 and 4-2 at Symms Field.

After the teams split Friday's doubleheader, the Yotes (31-11 overall, 19-4 CCC) claimed the third and final conference counter of the series on the strength of Annie Polster's two-hit shutout. She dueled with Raiders ace Katie Machado, but C of I pushed across the lone run of the contest in the fifth inning when Hattie Hruza hit a one-out double and Lolo Walker singled her in.

The Raiders (32-13, 18-6) put the potential tying run in scoring position with one out in the sixth before going down. They stranded another runner in the seventh. Faith Moultrie was the only Raider to reach base twice, singling and drawing a walk, and Machado took the loss despite throwing a four-hit complete game.

Four Yotes pitchers combined to limit the Raiders to two runs in Game 2, and starter Grace Neer got them through 5 1/3 innings. After two walks and a hit batter in the top of the sixth, pinch-hitter Emma Stang cut into C of I's 3-0 lead with a pinch-hit, two-RBI single to the opposite field.

The Yotes – who got a hit, two walks, an RBI and a run scored from Walker – pushed an insurance run across in the bottom of the inning, and SOU put the potential tying runs on in the seventh before Ambrie Jones recorded a one-out save.

Katie Fodge, SOU's Game 2 starter, limited C of I to two earned runs in five innings of work.

C of I hadn't won a CCC series against the Raiders since 2019.

The Raiders are home for their final regular-season series next week against Eastern Oregon, which remains tied with Oregon Tech for first place. First pitches are scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.