April 18, 2010
Box Score
Complete Game Packet - Game 1: Idaho State 6, Northern Colorado 2 
Complete Game Packet - Game 1: Northern Colorado 8 Idaho State 6
Pocatello, ID --- Taylor Marchione broke two school records and had four hits on the day, but Alex Neely hit a two-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh as Idaho State split a doubleheader with Northern Colorado at Rainey Park, winning the opener 6-2 but losing game two 8-6 after leading 6-3 after 5 ½ innings.
In accordance with Pacific Coast Softball Conference rules, Northern Colorado was the designated home team for both games, and batted last, which certainly aided their cause in game two.
While it was just a split, offensively ISU had plenty of standout performances, highlighted by Taylor Marchione. She went 3-for-5 in game one, breaking the school record for consecutive games with a hit with 16. One of those hits was a double, which tied the school record. She promptly broke that record in game two with her 12th double, and extended her hitting streak to 17 games, which is tied for the third longest in the PCSC.
In game one, After Northern Colorado scratched a run home in the first, ISU finally got on the board in the fourth inning. Brittany Olsin and Jocelyn Horton both walked and with one out stole second and third. Emily Hu then hit a grounder to second, and Jessica McNabb elected to go home, but Olsin slid in safely to tie the game. Horton however rounded third and was thrown out, with Hu racing to second. She scored on Marchione's single, making it 2-1.
Megan Miller tripled and scored in the fifth, making it 3-1. At that point Alex Neely relieved Melisa Ryba, and in the next inning Neely crushed a homer to left making it 3-2, and giving a sign of things to come. ISU however put it away in the seventh with three runs. ISU had the bases loaded and two outs when Marchione ripped a two-run single, and Desirae Hoffman followed with a run scoring single of her own, making it 6-2.
The beneficiary of the offense was Kandis Clesson, who again pitched well, allowing two earned runs on just five hits, without walking a batter.
In game two, UNC sent Jamie Juelfs to the circle after shutting out ISU in game one, and the Bengals couldn't solve her again, as she cruised with a 3-0 lead into the fifth. Those runs came on an RBI single by Erin Wilkinson in the first, and then an RBI double by Kelli Henderson in the third, and a Wilkinson sacrifice fly in the third.
The Bengals however tied it with three in the fifth, chasing Juelfs. Hu opened with a single and stole second, scoring on Marchione's record-breaking 12th double of the year. Hoffman then singled and advanced on a throwing error, allowing Marchione to come around and score, making it 3-2. After a flyout, Erin Olander hit a 222-foot double off the base of the fence in left center to score Hoffman and chase Juelfs, with Henderson coming in to pitch. Henderson got out of the inning without further damage, but promptly gave up three more in the sixth as ISU rallied with two out and none on.
Hu, who scored four runs on the day, doubled to left center, and then stole third, tying the school record with her 10th steal of the season. Marchione walked and Hoffman singled through the right side, scoring Hu. Miller than hit her second triple of the day, this to right field, scoring two and making it 6-3. From there it was all UNC, who were helped by shoddy ISU fielding.
The Bengals, who had committed just one error in the first 25 innings of the series, then committed four in the final 1 1/3 innings. It started in the sixth when Megan Miller dropped a fly ball by Erin Wilkinson for her first error of the year. Melisa Ryba then had a bunt single, and Megan Hamilton bunted the runners into scoring position. Jessica McNabb then grounded to short, and Wilkinson held for a second, and hten tried to score after the out at first. Erin Olander's throw skipped past Terah Blackwell, and both runs scored, making it 6-5.
In the seventh, ISU's defense betrayed them again in the inning. Erin Geddes bunted to Martensen to start the inning, and she was safe when ISU was late covering first. Then Jessie Schoepflin popped a bunt up in front of Martensen, and Geddis had to hold for a second. Martensen went for the out there, but threw to ball into center field. As Geddes raced for third, Miller's throw got away and Schoepflin moved into scoring position as ISU was credited with two errors on the play.
Kelli Henderson then lofted a deep fly to right, but ISU didn't cut off Emily Hu's throw, and Geddis scored and Schoepflin raced to third. Nelly then came up and then cranked Nora Maschue's first offering of the at bat well out to left to win it for the Bears.
Maschue pitched well, allowing just five earned runs and just six hits, walking four and striking out three. Henderson got the win depite allowing three earned runs in 2.2 innings.
Offensively, ISU had 21 hits on the day, including five hits by Desirae Hoffman, who went 5-for-8. Marchione went 4-for-7and Miller and Erin Olander each had three hits.
The Bengals and the Bears are now both 3-5 in the PCSC, three games behind both Seattle and Portland State, who both are 6-2. Idaho State travels to play Boise State in a doubleheader on Tuesday and then they travel to face the first place Vikings on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm Mountain Time.
NOTES: Marchione is batting .500 in conference play ... Hu's 10 stolen bases ties Chris Shoemaker's single season record, and her 17 stolen bases are tied for second-most in school history ... Miller now has 11 career triples ... Maschue's conference ERA is now 3.71, and Clesson's is 3.91 ... UNC took the series three games to one, but each team scored 13 runs.
