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Box Score 2 POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team is in first place in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals beat Southern Utah 10-3 and 3-2 on Sunday to improve to 30-16 and 11-3 in Big Sky Conference play. The 30 wins is a new school record, breaking the mark of 29 set by the 2013 team. Southern Utah dropped to 9-4 in league and 19-26 overall.
"I still can't process what just happened," Idaho State coach
Julie Wright said. "Southern Utah is a great team. I really appreciate how he trains his team. I like his team and they do some good things. These are two really great wins."
The Bengals turned in a solid all-around performance on offense and defense. ISU won game two on a lead-off walk-off home run by
Vicky Galasso. As a team the Bengals combined to hit .345 with 19 hits, six home runs and 13 RBIs.
"It was a total team effort in both games and we needed it completely to beat this good team," Wright said. "Defensively, we played great softball. Different people stepped up and even those who weren't getting hits were doing their job moving runners."
In the circle,
Haley Douglas improved to 16-10 on the season with the game one win. She pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits, three runs, three walks while striking out four.
Jessica Tolmie earned the game two win, allowing six hits, two runs, two walks while striking out seven in a complete game effort. ISU did not commit an error in the field.
"They hit their spots," Wright said. "They really did a good of working a head, hitting their spots and being tremendous in RBI situations. With runners at second and third they shut them down."
Seven different Bengals finished the double header with at least two hits.
Kacie Burnett led the attack by going four-for-eight with a grand slam, four RBIs and three runs scored. Galasso,
Maddy Hickman and
Sarah Hayes each had three hits. Two of Galasso's three hits were home runs.
Terah Blackwell,
Hailey Breakwell and
Micheala Taylor all added home runs on the day.
"We were ready to play," Wright said. "We had one goal today and that was to win two."
In the first game, the Bengals trailed 2-1 after four innings. ISU then exploded for four runs in the fifth inning and five runs in the sixth to earn the victory.
In the fifth inning, Galasso hit a two-run blast to left field and Blackwell hit a two-run bomb later in the inning.
Idaho State took a 10-2 lead in the sixth when Burnett hit a grand slam to left-center and Breakwell homered to centered field.
In the second game, SUU scored its two runs in the third inning and maintained its 2-0 lead after four innings. Idaho State scored its first run in the fifth inning when Blackwell singled home Burnett with two outs.
In the sixth inning, with one out, Taylor hit an inside the park home run after the T-Birds left fielder and center fielder collided going for the ball.
"You could see the collision happening and I knew the next person to the ball was far," Wright said. "We needed that run. We were having a hard time getting it so we were just going to go for it."
The Bengals came up with a big defensive play in the top of the sixth inning when Burnett threw out Meagan Neilson at home plate from left field.
In the bottom of the seventh, Galasso took the second pitch well-beyond the left-field fence to give ISU the win.
"It doesn't get old," Galasso said. "It is why we play. You have to come in and keep swinging. The only doubt I had was whether or not it was going to be fair. Words can't describe it. We have worked so hard this whole fall and spring. It is an unbelievable feeling."
Idaho State hosts Boise State on Tuesday, April 29 at 4 p.m. at Miller Ranch Stadium.
We Are Your Bengals
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