Box Score
LAS VEGAS – Idaho State defeated Pac-12 foe Utah 9-8 Friday afternoon in the second game of the Easton Desert Classic. Senior pitcher
Amanda Fitzsimmons set the ISU single game homerun record with three in the contest. Fitzsimmons went 3-3 for in the game and had six RBIs. This is Idaho State's first win over Utah since 1982.
“I think what this team is doing is putting the ISU softball program on the map,” ISU Head Coach
Julie Wright said. “People are starting to notice them. They play with such energy and excitement that it's really hard not to notice. I think Amanda has been the leader on that. She's very competitive and plays with a lot of emotion. She's playing with a lot of confidence right now and is a senior having a fantastic start to her season. I'm really proud of what she did today and see no reason why that won't continue.”
It all came down to the seventh inning as the Bengals led the Utes 9-7 going into the bottom of the inning. Utah scored one run to narrow the lead 9-8 and with bases loaded and no outs Utah's Kelsi Hoopiana flied out to centerfielder freshman
Katelyn Marquez who then fired back to sophomore
Vicky Galasso for the out at home. ISU closed the game on the next play as Utah's Austin flied out to right fielder
Katee Wiley.
“Utah is a great, great team and they have beat us, badly, since I have been here so getting that win was huge,” Wright said. “They are in the Pac-12 and a Big Sky school beating a Pac-12 school is huge. I'm happy for the kids and the program.”
Utah led early in the game, taking a 3-1 lead after the second inning. ISU's one run in the second came from Fitzsimmons' first homerun.
The Bengals took the lead 5-4 after the third inning as Idaho State scored four runs in the inning. Galasso had two RBIs in the inning with a single to centerfield and was followed by a two-run homerun by Fitzsimmons.
Utah regained the lead in the fourth, outscoring ISU 3-1 in the inning on a 3-run homerun by Hoopiana. Idaho State trailed the Utes 7-6. Idaho State's one run came from freshman
Maddy Hickman's first career homerun.
The Bengals came roaring back in the fifth inning as Fitzsimmons hit her third homerun of the game. The three-run homerun brought in Galasso and Marquez. ISU allowed no Utah runs in the fifth and led Utah 9-7 after the bottom of the fifth.
“One of the biggest differences we have had from last year to this year is Tereh Blackwell,” Wright said. “Tereh might not be swinging the bat as well as she is capable yet but having her presence in the line-up is a really big help.
Amanda Fitzsimmons got it going today and
Vicky Galasso has been a huge force in the line-up and when you stack those kids together, it's a really tough line-up. I would say that we are, in positions 1-9, are really swinging it. We never feel out of a ball game. These players constantly feel like they can win.”
After a scoreless sixth inning, Utah allowed no ISU runs in the top of the seventh bringing up the dramatic second half of the inning and giving Idaho State the win 9-8.
Freshman
Bailey Foster earned her first career win at the mound and Fitzsimmons was credited with the save in the game.
The Bengals are now 4-3 on the season while Utah falls to 2-4 on the year. The Bengals take on Ohio and Oregon State in the second day of the Easton Desert Classic Saturday. ISU faces Ohio at 12:15 MST before taking on the Beavers at 4:45. Live stats for both games are available at
www.isubengals.com.
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