POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team split the opening day of the Mardi Gras Classic in Lafayette, Louisiana, beating Mississippi Valley State, 6-0 and losing to No. 7 Louisiana Lafayette, 5-1. Louisiana Lafayette is a team that advanced to the softball college World Series in 2014.
"We competed well today," Idaho State coach
Julie Wright said. "Our pitching was really good as was our defense. ULL is a great club and is definitely deserving of their No. 7 ranking."
The Bengals had 12 hits on the day with 10 coming against Mississippi Valley.
Katelyn Marquez went three-for-five with a triple and one run scored and
Kacie Burnett was three-for-six with two runs scored.
Vicky Galasso finished the day with two hits, one being a home run and four RBIs.
Dara Kolar also hit a home run vs. Mississippi Valley.
Sophie Slagle went the distance in the win, pitching the complete game shut out. Slagle allowed only three hits while striking out nine and walking two. Ames went the distance against ULL, allowing 10 hits, five runs, three walks and three strikeouts.
"
Sophie Slagle dominated in her outing and the bats came alive in the win," Wright said. "I was really proud of
Ashlyn Ames' effort with their hitters."
Idaho State 6 Mississippi Valley 0ISU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning on an RBI single from Ames that scored Burnett. In the sixth inning, ISU scored its five runs on three hits. With one out and
Sahalie Doe on base, Kolar homered down the left field line to put ISU on top 3-0.
The lead was later extended to 6-0 after Galasso smacked a two-out bases clearing double to left field.
Marquez and Burnett combined for five of the Bengals 10 hits.
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No. 7 Louisiana Lafayette 5 Idaho State 1ULL scored three runs in the first inning and ISU followed with a run in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a solo-home run by Galasso. Burnett had the only other hit for the Bengals in the sixth inning. ULL had 10 hits while ISU finished with two.
ULL pitcher Alex Stewart pitched a complete game, striking out eight and walking only one ISU batter.
Day two of the Mardi Gras Classic resumes Saturday with an 11 a.m. (MDT) contest vs. Mississippi Valley and a 4 p.m. contest vs. host-school No. 7 Louisiana Lafayette.
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