March 16, 2007
Final Stats
Sacramento, CA --- Idaho State committed a pair of errors that allowed the Minnesota Golden Gophers to pick up five runs in the third inning, three unearned, as the Bengals lost their first game in the Capital City Classic, sponsored by Sacramento State.
The loss dropped the Bengals to 4-18 on the season and ended ISU's two-game winning streak, while Minnesota improved to 12-10. The Golden Gophers, who were the visitors for the game, broke a scoreless tie in the third when Minnesota got back-to-back hits to lead off the inning, and then loaded up the bases when, on a sacrifice bunt attempt, Colleen Powers beat the throw to third base. Megan Higginbotham then drove in two with a double to make it 2-0.
Minnesota then added three more runs in the inning, all unearned after two errors followed in the inning. All of the damage was done on Lindsay Boughton, who pitched well in the circle, throwing another complete game (her eighth), allowing just two earned runs and eight hits while striking out six with no walks.
Idaho State managed just three hits, including a pair of singles in the first when ISU threatened early as Christine Shollenberger and Heather Dixon singled with one out. However, on a wild pitch by Katie Dalen, Dixon was thrown out trying to get to second for the second out. Whitney Nix, who homered to end a run of 18-of-19 retired by Dalen, then popped out to end the threat.
Nix' home run was her third, good for second on the team, and it was ISU's 14th of the season. Dalen, who improved to 3-3 for Minnesota, allowed just a fourth inning walk over a 6-inning stretch in the game from the first to Nix' shot in the seventh. The Bengals have a second game on Friday, taking on 15-7-1 Kansas in the afternoon.
NOTES: ISU's two errors in the third ended a string of 16 consecutive errorless innings ... The Bengals have now homered in three straight games ... Boughton's ERA dropped again, this time to 4.56 ... Boughton has been the pitcher of record in nine of the last 10 games.
