REGION 18 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT: Cardinals shut out in Region 18 opener

TWIN FALLS — Lily Heitz hit a bases-clearing triple, then Alyce Archuleta followed with a two-run home for top-seeded College of Southern Idaho in a 9-0 win over North Idaho College in the opening round of the Region 18 Tournament on Tuesday. 

Abbie Banning hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning for CSI (38-14), which faces Salt Lake in a semifinal game today at 11 a.m. PDT. Salt Lake (34-10) beat Snow 13-4 in 5 innings in the other opening round game. 

Faith Nichols had two hits for NIC (20-25), which faces Snow (18-30) in a loser-out game today at 1:30 p.m.

During the regular season, NIC won three of four games against Snow at Airport Park in Lewiston March 7-8 and the Badgers of Price, Utah, swept all four games April 11-12 in Utah.

SOUTHERN IDAHO 9, NORTH IDAHO 0, 5 INN. 

North Idaho    000    00    —    0    5    1 

Southern Idaho    007    02    —    9    7    0 

Game called with nobody out in bottom of 5th inning due to 8-run rule. 

Kristine Schmidt, Maliyah Mann (3) and Megan Nelson; Emerson Fuller and Courtney Christiansen.  

HITS: NIC — Doran, Nichols 2, Nelson, Wirt. CSI — Hansen 2, Heitz, Archuleta, Banning, Crowley, Howell. 2B — Nichols. 3B — Heitz. HR — Archuleta, Banning. 

REGION 18 SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
At College of Southern Idaho, Twin Falls 

TImes PDT

Tuesday’s Games 

Salt Lake 13, Snow 4, 5 innings

Southern Idaho 9, North Idaho 0, 5 innings

Wednesday’s Games 

Game 3 — No. 2 Salt Lake (34-10) vs. No. 1 Southern Idaho (38-14), 11 a.m. 

Game 4 — No. 3 Snow (18-30) vs. No. 4 North Idaho (20-25), 1:30 p.m. 

Game 5 — Loser Game 3 vs. Winner Game 4, 4 p.m. 

Thursday’s Games 

Game 6 — Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5, 11 a.m. (championship game) 

Game 7 — Loser Game 6 vs. Winner Game 6, 1:30 p.m. (if-necessary game)