CEDAR CITY, Utah – Offense, offense and more offense. Pitching, strikeouts and defense. A deadly-duo display of each of these ingredients was the perfect winning recipe for Idaho State (19-13, 4-1 BSC) as they downed Southern Utah in a double-header 9-1 and 7-1 Friday afternoon.
The Bengal bats bashed 19 hits including five for extra bases and three home runs in the twin-bill. The team scored at least one run in six of the 12 innings played on the day. It was the first meeting between the two schools since SUU defeated ISU in the Big Sky Championship Game last season.
"They hit hitters' pitches today," Head Coach
Julie Wright said. "When they got themselves out they did it on pitchers' pitches. It is really hard to throw on the edge of the plate consistently. We didn't chase those. We waited for them to miss and we hammered it."
Vicky Galasso powered the visitors to the win in the first game finishing 3-3 with two home runs and six RBI. That is tied for the second most RBI in a game in school history (7, Christina Rayner vs Cal Riverside 3/4/11).
Her 13 home runs and 48 RBI are the highest in the conference. She has more home runs individually then four of the other seven teams in the Big Sky Conference.
"She never stops learning, that's the great thing about her," Wright said of her MVP catcher. "She (Galasso) told me she just needs to relax and swing easy. When they realize things like that and then have that kind of day, it is great as a coach."
Pitcher
Sophie Slagle (8-6) was equally brilliant in the circle striking out six without allowing an earned run over five innings.
"She (Slagle) got ahead more than she has been lately. She looked to me like she was poised and attacking hitters," Wright said. "Even when she got herself into trouble she wriggled out of it. She didn't try to overdue things."
The second game was more of the same in the pitching department for ISU. Freshman
Ashlyn Ames (6-3) tossed a complete-game while fanning four. The Nevada native allowed ten hits but only one run as the T-Birds scratched their only tally across the plate in the final inning.
"That's a mindset that when runners are on they have to be tougher," Wright said of Ames' afternoon. "I was pleased with her mentality and how she handled the scenario."
Dara Kolar joined in the long ball parade in the second game connecting on her seventh home run of the season to help cement the victory for ISU.
"I was really impressed with her at-bats and her productions," Wright said. "She is a kid who respects the game a lot and works to learn every day."
ISU's "Peanut Club" (
Kacie Burnett,
Sarah Hayes,
Katelyn Marquez and
Micheala Taylor) combined for eight of the Bengals' 12 hits in game two and four of the seven runs scored.
"They did a really good job of moving runners when they needed to and using their own legs," Wright said. "I was really pleased with their effort today. The top half of the lineup did their job in the first game and then in the second game the bottom half came through," Wright said. "I was proud of the way we attacked the ball and had quality at bats."
Gabby Lopez collected a 2 RBI double in each of the two games while
Kacie Burnett raised her batting average to a Big Sky best .491 as she finished the double-header 5-7 with two runs scored.
The Bengals will go for the three-game sweep Saturday afternoon when the two teams meet again at noon in Cedar City.
Idaho State returns to Pocatello on April 3rd and 4th for their home opener against Weber State.
We Are Your Bengals
