Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team found two different ways to win games on Friday as the Bengals swept the first two-games of a four-game series, winning 11-2 in game 1 and 6-5 in game 2. The Bengals picked up their first two conference wins and improved to 9-28.
Kandis Clesson earned two wins to become the program's all-time leader in wins with 38.
The Bengal bats were solid in both games as the team hit .377 in the two outtings with 20 hits and 16 RBIs.
“I have never been more proud of this team then I was today,” Idaho State coach
Julie Wright said. “What we did today with two outs, we were relentless. We just kept hitting with two outs. That is something we were trying to focus on. When you can do that as a team you can win a lot of different ways.”
Terah Blackwell continued her offensive tear by going 4-for-7 with two doubles and four RBIs.
“She is so locked in,” Wright said. “We try not to mess her up. I am proud of her efforts.”
Brittany Olsin and
Christina Rayner each had three hits while
Erin Olander,
Amanda Fitzsimmons,
Courtney Dial and
Katee Wiley each had two hits. Olander had a homerun and three RBIs on the day. Wiley had four RBIs in the first and the bottom of the lineup really came through for the Bengals on Friday.
“Erin had such a great hitting day yesterday I knew she was going to have a good day,” Wright said. “That seven, eight and nine spots helped us win both games.”
Clesson earned the win in both games.
In the first game she pitched five innings, striking out five, allowing four hits, two walks and only the two runs. In game two, Clesson relieved
Amanda Fitzsimmons and pitched the final 2.2 innings, striking out three, allowing three hits and two walks.
“Kandis broke the record and it was extremely special,” Wright said. “Our pitchers pitched great, both Amanda and Kandis got ahead all day. It was a total team effort.”
Trailing 1-0 after the first inning, ISU scored five runs in the second to take a 5-1 lead. The scoring started when Rayner singled to open the inning, then with two outs the Bengals scored all five of their runs.
Olander walked, Dial singled up the middle and then Wiley followed with a two-RBI single to left. Olsin and Blackwell added RBIs in the inning.
ISU scored one run in the third and then three in the fourth and two in the fifth to earn the win. Olsin opened the fifth with a triple and scored on a walk-off homerun by Fitzsimmons.
In the nightcap, Idaho State led 3-0 through four innings, thanks to a two-run homerun by Olander and an RBI double by Blackwell. Weber State took a 5-3 lead after the top of the fifth but the Bengals tied the game in the bottom half of the inning.
Rayner won the game for the Bengals in the bottom of the seventh with a two-out walk-off double that scored Blackwell.
The four-game series continues Saturday with a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
www.isubengals.com
