May 7, 2010
Box Score
Complete Stat Packet: Game One - Idaho State 8, Weber State 0 (5 innings) 
Stat Packet: Game One - Idaho State 5, Weber State 1
Ogden, UT --- Of all of the solid performances in Idaho State's 8-0 and 5-1 sweep over Weber State on Friday afternoon in women's softball action, Shelby Ford's game two performance might have been the most satisfying. Ford got her first two hits of the season in game two, and twice made great plays at the plate to tag out runners in the first two innings to help pace Idaho State in the nightcap 5-1. Taylor Marchione was the star in game one with a pair of home runs.
The sweep for the Bengals were the first in PCSC play since sweeping Seattle on the opening weekend of conference games four weeks ago. The Bengals had stars throughout the two game sweep. Marchione went 3-for-8 on the day, hitting two home runs to tie for the team lead, and also adding her 17th double of the season. Megan Miller went 3-for-7, Courtney Darby, who celebreated a birthday on Friday, went 3-for-6 with three RBI, and Erin Olander was 2-for-5.
But, there was not bigger star than Ford in game two, and she didn't even play in game one. Frist to game one, where ISU won 8-0 in five innings. The Bengals got a thorough pitching performance from Kandis Clesson, who notched her third career shutout, allowing just three three singles and one walk. She kept the shutout despite allowing two base runners in every inning but the fourth, as four ISU errors hurt their cause. Still Clesson earned her first shutout of the season as ISU had several solid defensive plays as well, including diving stops for outs by Jennifer Martensen at third and Jocelyn Horton at second.
ISU got out to a 1-0 lead on the second pitch as Taylor Marchione nailed an Ariel Whiteman offering out to left center for a home run. In the third, Marchione again led off with a monsterous home run, this to right center to make it 2-0, and then Martensen singled with two outs to drive in Desirae Hoffman for a 3-0 lead. Birthday girl Courtney Darby doubled home Martensen for a 4-0 lead.
In the fourth, ISU blew it open with a pair of run scoring singles, first from Megan Miller, and then from Darby to complete a three-RBI game.
In game two, Ford was the clear star, both on offense and on defense. In the first, she survived a nasty collision, holding onto the ball to nail Linnea Ketcher to keep ISU in the lead at 1-0, and then in the second inning, she used a picture perfect block of the plate to nail Britinie Hardine at the plate. That came after picking off pinch runner Kalli Randall, who strayed too far off third after a failed bunt attempt.
She then ended the third with a lunging catch off a short infield pop up in no man's land. Ford in the second inning ended a season-long hitless drought, rocketing a double off the diving glove of Abby Bowcutt in center for her first hit. In the fourth she made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly. She was hit by a pitch in the sixth, and in the seventh she laced a hard single two left, making her 2-for-2 on the day after starting the year 0-for-27.
ISU got on the board in the first on a two-out RBI single by Erin Olander, who did the same in the third to make it 2-0. With the score 3-1, ISU got two insurance runs in the seventh off the bat of Jocelyn Horton to make it 5-1. That took the pressure off Clesson, who relieved Nora Maschue in the fourth and got her second win of the day, allowing three hits and no walks in four innings of work.
The Bengals, who broke ground on Miller Ranch Stadium on Thursday, will complete their 2010 season on Saturday with a doubleheader in Ogden at noon and two.
NOTES: Marchione became the third player to homer twice in the same game, joining Heather Dixon (twice), Jessica Baca, and Christine Shollenberger ... Marchione's 65 hits on the season is tied for 10th in PCSC history, and her 17 doubles ties for fourth ... Clesson's ERA is down to 4.57 overall and 3.25 in conference play ... Courtney Darby now has 14 RBI on the season, but eight in the last seven games.
