POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team earned its first win of the season on Friday evening, beating Santa Clara 8-5. Earlier in the day ISU lost to Seattle U 3-2 thanks to a walk off sacrifice in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Bengals were solid all day offensively as they pounded out 20 hits and seven different Bengals had two hits or more.
Ashley Morris was 3-5 with two RBIs and one run scored.
Katelyn Marquez was 3-5 and
Alex Portesi was 3-7 with one RBI, two doubles and two runs scored.
Kacie Burnett,
Ashlyn Ames and
Micheala Taylor all had three hits while
Maddy Hickman had two.
Bailey Foster picked up her first win of the season and she pitched 10.1 innings on the day while
Ashlyn Ames suffered the loss against Santa Clara. Ames pitched 3.1 innings and allowed only four hits, one run and two strike outs. Foster scattered 14 hits, struck out six and walked seven.
"We finished the game vs. Santa Clara," Idaho State coach
Candi Letts said. "It was a great team effort. We didn't finish the game vs. Seattle. That was the difference because definitely out played them. Learning that it is never good enough will get this team moving in the winning direction."
Idaho State 8 Santa Clara 5Idaho State never trailed in the game and jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning. With one out in the second, Portesi doubled to left field and she would later score on a Santa Clara fielding error.
ISU led 2-0 in the third when Burnett led off with a double to left field. She later scored on sacrifice fly to center field by Hickman.
After Santa Clara scored a run in the bottom of the third, Idaho State scored four runs in the fourth inning to lead 6-1. The scoring started when Ames singled to right field and
Portesi followed with a bunt. Then with one out, Morris singled to center to score the first run of the inning. Marquez then singled and Burnett followed with a two-RBI single to extend the lead. The final run of the inning came when Taylor platted Marquez on a sacrifice fly.
Santa Clara countered with a four-run fifth inning to cut the ISU lead to 6-5 but the Bengals sealed the victory with a two-run seventh inning as Ames and Portesi had back-to-back RBI doubles.
ISU had 11 hits and Portesi led the offensive attack with a 3-4 outing with one RBI and two runs scored. Foster pitched 4.1 innings, scattered eight hits, walked four and struck out two. Ames finished the game by tossing 2.2 innings and allowing only two hits.
Seattle U 3 Idaho State 2The Bengals led 2-0 after five innings but Seattle U tied the game at two in the sixth and won it on a walk-off sacrifice RBI in the bottom of the seventh.
ISU had nine hits and the pitching staff of Foster and Ames scattered seven hits.
 Taylor was 2-4 and Marquez was 2-3. Ames was 1-4 with an RBI and Morris was 1-2 with a double and RBI.
Foster went six innings, allowing five hits, two runs, four strikeouts and three walks. Ames took the loss as she gave up two hits and a run in the seventh inning.
The game was scoreless through four innings.
ISU plays Cal State Fullerton at 1:15 p.m. and Santa Clara at 5:45 p.m.
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