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POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team made its home Big Sky Conference debut on Friday afternoon by sweeping a doubleheader with Weber State, 9-6 and 7-2. The Bengals improved to 15-18 overall and 3-2 in conference play.
The sweep over the Wildcats was extra gratifying as coach
Julie Wright watched her pitching staff bounce back from a tough loss to Utah State on Wednesday.
The trio of pitchers in
Haley Douglas,
Amanda Fitzsimmons and
Kelsi Ott pitched the Bengals to the two victories. Ott earned the win in game 1 and Douglas earned her first win of the season in the night cap.
“I was really proud of our pitching staff all day long,” Idaho State coach
Julie Wright said.
Offensively, ISU hit .347 on the day with 17 hits and 15 RBI.
Amanda Fitzsimmons and
Becky Molyneaux led the attack as Fitzsimmons went 3-4 with two home runs, four RBI, walked once and was hit by a pitch. Molyneaux was 4-6 with three runs, two doubles and three RBI. Eight different Bengals had a hit on the day.
Fitzsimmons how has 11 home runs on the season and is one away from tying the school single-season record.
“They did it at the biggest time,” Wright saida. “We needed two games in conference desperately. The team came through. They pulled together, took the challenge and ran with it. We work really hard on the mental aspect of the game on what it takes to get it done, having a plan and executing that plan. That is what our team does really well even as young as we are.”
Idaho State 9 Weber State 6
Weber State led 2-0 after the top of the third inning. Fitzsimmons hit her first of two home runs in game 1 in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 2-1 and in the fourth inning the Bengals took the lead for good with a five run inning.
Idaho State led off the fourth inning with a single by
Maddy Hickman. She would later score off an RBI single by
Hailey Breakwell and later in the inning
Courtney Dial had a two RBI double to center field and Fitzsimmons hit her second homer of the game to put the Bengals on top 6-2.
“That is what the returning senior player of the year and senior pitcher will do for you,” Wright said on Fitzsimmons. “She bounced right back and did what she needed to do. We would have not gotten that win without her.”
The Wildcats scored three in the top of the fifth but ISU added one in the fifth inning and two in the sixth to put the game away.
Idaho State scored its nine runs on 10 hits and committed two errors while Weber State had six runs on eight hits and committed four errors.
Ott pitched the first 4.2 innings and allowed six hits, five runs and struck out five. Douglas tossed the final 2.1 and struck out three, allowing only two hits and one run.
Idaho State 7 Weber State 2
A five run second inning gave the Bengals an early lead and the pitching of Douglas and Fitzsimmons kept the Wildcat bats in check. Douglas earned the win by tossing the first 2.1 innings and allowing three hits.
“I am so proud of her,” Wright said. “She is still returning from an injury but she is just a tough, tough competitor. Mentally she is so strong and makes good choices upstairs.”
Fitzsimmons tossed the final 4.2 innings and struck out seven while allowing only four hits.
ISU scored its seven runs on seven hits. Molyneaux was 3-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. In the five run second inning she had a two RBI double to spark the scoring. Breakwell also had two RBI in the inning.
Idaho State concludes the series on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a single game vs. Weber State. The game can be followed online at isubengals.com with live stats, audio and video.
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