Feb. 11, 2010
Box Score
Printable Box Score: Idaho State 6, Maine 5 
St. George, UT --- Jennifer Martensen, who set a school record last year with 11 doubles, ripped a bases loaded two-bagger with one out in the sixth inning, and ISU survived a rocky seventh inning to defeat Maine 6-5 in the season opener for both teams at the Red Desert Classic, hosted by Brigham Young at the Canyons Softball Complex in St. George, Utah.
Martensen's double was one of four extra base hits for the Bengals as they rapped out 13 hits on the day, but none was bigger. The hit capped a rally from a 3-1 first inning deficit and made a winner of Kandis Clesson, who threw the teams' opening pitch for a fourth consecutive season.
Tied at three entering the top of the sixth, ISU freshman Desirae Hoffman singled with one out, and senior Megan Miller followed with a single as well. Emily Hu then walked to load the bases before Martensen doubled through the right side, with the speedy Hu scoring all the way from first to make it 6-3, and ISU would need every one of those runs as Maine, who returned 17 players from a 32-22 team last year, nearly came back to tie it in the bottom of the seventh.
Clesson didn't help herself by loading the bases in the seventh with a pair of walks sandwiched around a hit batter. Clesson then got a big out when cleanup hitter Kristen Calvetti hit into a fielder's choice, with Clesson getting a force out at home, leaving the bags loaded. Kali Burnham then grounded into a fielder's choice as well, with a run scoring on the play but ISU forcing out a runner going to third, which made it 6-4 with two outs.
Kirsten Allen then made it 6-5 with a pinch hit single, and with two outs the tying run moved to second base, but Clesson ended the game when she coaxed DP Jordan McLain to fly out to center to end it.
The Bengals tied the game in the fifth when ISU got three straight two out hits to tie it at three apiece. With Hu on second with a double, Jessica Baca, who had 38 RBI last year, picked up her second of the game with a single, scoring Hu. After rookie Taylor Marchione doubled her to third, Baca scored on a single by CSI and BYU transfer Erin Olander, tying the game up.
The Bengals opened the scoring when Baca singled home Hu in the first, and ISU almost tacked on more, but Baca, who moved to second on a Marchione single, was thrown out trying to score on Olander's hit to center. Maine promptly answered with three in the bottom of the frame to lead 3-1. Four of the first five batters reached on Clesson, but the damage was limited after getting a strikeout and a flyout, although she walked in a run and then an unearned run scored on a passed ball.
Clesson, who had a shaky start and finish, was superb in the middle innings, and overall she allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits, with four strikeouts and six walks. For Maine, Ashley Kelly started and went 4.2 innings, allowing three earned and eight hits. Beth Spoehr pitched the final 2.1 innings, and although she ended ISU's fifth inning rally, she allowed three in the sixth to take the loss.
ISU had 13 hits on the day, with four doubles. Olander, who played against ISU two years ago when she was with the Cougars, went 3-for-4 to lead the way, and Miller, Baca, Marchione, and Hoffman all had two hits apiece for ISU, with Hu and Martensen adding a hit each as well. Catcher Shelby Ford went 0-for-3 and had three passed balls, but she more than redeemed herself by throwing out a pair of runners stealing second, one in the third and one in the fifth.
"It got a little crazy there, but I'm glad we got ourselves a win against a very good opponent," said head coach Andrea Wilson. "I'm really proud of the girls, to come back like they did, and then hold on. It was a pretty good team effort."
The Bengals, who were 0-13 in the Red Desert Classic all-time entering the game, won their first season opening game since the program was reinstated in 2007. The last season opening win was a 10-0 whitewashing on Southern Utah in the 1983 season opener. The Bengals play Tulsa and Utah State tomorrow on day two of the tournament.
NOTES: ISU had 13 hits in a game only three times all of last year ... Maine stranded 10 runners on base ... Head coach Andrea Wilson improved to 21-21 as a head coach ... the win marked ISU's first time over .500 in a season since the program was restarted in 2007.
