Softball Beats Wisconsin 9-5; Falls to ULM 3-1 in Las Vegas

 
POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team beat Wisconsin, 9-5, and lost to Louisiana Monroe, 3-1, on the opening day of the Alexis Park Resort Classic at UNLV.  The Bengals are now 7-9 while Louisiana Monroe improved to 13-3 and Wisconsin dropped to 5-7.

Idaho State had 15 hits in two games, led by a three-for-five day from Kacie Burnett. Hailey Breakwell was three-for-six with two runs, one double, a home run and three RBIs and Katelyn Marquez finished the two games, three-for-six. Vicky Galasso was two-for-four with one RBI. Eight different Bengals had hits.

Freshman Ashlyn Ames earned the win over UNLV while Sophie Slagle took the loss vs. Louisiana Monroe.

"We played 12 innings of quality Bengal softball," Idaho State coach Julie Wright said. "The Wisconsin win was a great win. Anytime you can beat a team from one of the power-five conferences that is a big deal. Louisiana Monroe is a great team. I was really impressed with them."

Wright added that she was pleased with the play of her senior catcher, Vicky Galasso.

"She played great," Wright said. "There were a lot of people trying to steal on her and she did a great job controlling the game."

Idaho State 9 Wisconsin 5
This was the first win for ISU over a school from the Big Ten Conference and the second over a school from a "Power 5" Conference.

Ames pitched the Bengals to the complete-game victory, scattering 11 hits, allowing only three earned runs and striking out one.

"Ashlyn battled and pitched great," Wright said. "Our defense kept battling. Towards the end of the game they did a great job of making clean plays."

Offensively, ISU got home runs from Breakwell, Maddy Hickman and Dara Kolar. The Bengals scored their nine runs on 10 hits.

"It was great to see Maddy, Hailey and Dara hit the ball well," Wright said. "Their job is too hit the ball and it is great to see their power emerge."

 Burnett and Breakwell each had two hits. Breakwell had three RBIs and scored two runs. Marquez also had two hits.

Idaho State trailed 3-2 after the first inning. Breakwell hit a two-run homer in the first inning to put the Bengals on the scoreboard.

ISU took the lead in the fifth with a three-run inning. Hickman hit a two-run home run over center field and Breakwell had an RBI double to put ISU on top 5-3. The Badgers scored a run in the bottom half of the inning to cut the Bengal lead to 5-4.

Idaho State then countered with a four-run sixth inning to take a 9-4 lead. Kolar hit a two-run homer to left field and Micheala Taylor had a two-run single to round out the scoring.

Louisiana Monroe 3 Idaho State 1
An RBI single by Galasso in the third inning that scored Burnett gave the Bengals a 1-0 lead. ULM's Miyuki Navarrete hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie the game at one. She gave Louisiana Monroe the lead for good in the seventh with a two-run home run.

Sophie Slagle took the loss, pitching 6.1 innings, allowing six hits, three runs and striking out two.

"Sophie pitched really well," Wright said. "Our hitters could have done a better job of adjusting to string hits together."

Idaho State continues play at UNLV with a 4:45 p.m. (MDT) against DePaul and a 9:15 p.m. (MDT) time contest against UNLV.

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