Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
CHUBBUCK, Idaho- After 30 straight road games, the Idaho State softball team made its long awaited home debut Saturday afternoon at Capell Park in Chubbuck against Portland State. The Bengals dropped two close one-run games losing 4-3 in game 1 and 3-2 in game 2.
Idaho State dropped to 7-25 and 0-6 in Pacific Coast Softball Conference play while Portland State improved to 15-15 and 3-3 in conference.
“Everybody loves to sleep in their own bed a night before a ball game,” Idaho State coach
Julie Wright said. “We just have to hit better in certain situations and make great pitches when we need them.”
Idaho State had nine different players' record hits, led by
Terah Blackwell's 4-for-5 day with one RBI and two doubles.
Kandis Clesson and
Amanda Fitzsimmons took the loss in the circle. Clesson went 6.2 innings in game 1, allowing five hits, two runs, four walks and striking out three while Fitzsimmons went 4.2 innings, allowing seven hits, three runs to go with her five strikeouts.
In the first game, Idaho State led 1-0 through six innings thanks to a solo-homerun by
Brittany Olsin in the third inning. The lead lasted until the seventh inning when PSU scored four runs in the top half of the inning.
The Bengals didn't die as they opened the bottom of the seventh with three straight doubles from
Erin Olander,
Courtney Hancock and
Desirae Hoffman to score the two runs. But Viking pitcher Anna Bertrand got out of the inning by retiring the next three batters to earn the win.
“When we came out in the bottom of the seventh we fought and fought with three straight doubles,” Wright said. “I was proud of that. The fact that we were on the losing end is not what we wanted but we did fight.”
Portland State led 2-0 in the second game after the top of the fourth inning. In the bottom half of the inning ISU tied the game at two thanks to some timely hits from Blackwell and
Courtney Dial. Blackwell platted the first run with a single to left-center, scoring
Katee Wiley. Dial later scored
Jessica Baca on a single to left-center.
Portland State would score a run in the fifth to take the 3-2 lead.
The four-game conference series continues Sunday with another doubleheader that starts at 12 p.m. at Capell Park in Chubbuck
.
www.isubengals.com
