ISU Takes Down SUU 7-3

POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team pounded out 14 hits and played flawless defense to beat Southern Utah 7-3 on Saturday afternoon at Miller Ranch Stadium.

Kacie Burnett was 3-4 with one RBI with one RBI and one run scored. Micheala Taylor, Ashlyn Ames, Ashley Morris and Dara Kolar all had two hits. Ames and Kolar each had two RBIs.

"We had a great effort with 14 hits," Idaho State coach Candi Letts said. "We knew they were going to swing the bats. We did what we needed to do today to win."

Bailey Foster pitched three innings and improved to 3-0 while allowing four hits, two runs and striking out two. Ames tossed the final four and allowed seven hits, one run and two strikeouts.
 

"We knew our backs were against the wall," Letts said. "With the conference being all over the place yesterday every win for us is like putting a gold nugget into our pot of gold. We keep telling them you can't give them anything. You have to make them earn everything they have."

Idaho State scored all seven runs in two innings. The Bengals had a four run third inning. Kolar started the offensive attack with a single to left field. Sarah Hayes and Micheala Taylor each reached base on infield hits. After a ground out RBI by Katelyn Marquez, Burnett platted the second run on an infield hit to second base.

Later in the third inning Hickman doubled to left field for the third run and Ames singled up the middle for the final run of the inning.

"We saw yesterday that they weren't real aggressive on bunts," Letts said. "The girls executed the bunt and we had that nice little spot where the bunters were putting them down."

Southern Utah scored its three runs on 11 hits and had a two-run fourth inning. ISU followed with three runs in the fifth. Burnett opened the inning with a double to left field and then with one out Ames singled up the middle to score Burnett. Kolar had two-out two-RBI double in the fifth for the final runs.

Southern Utah added a run in the seventh before the Bengal defense closed the door on the T-Bird offense.

Idaho State plays a nonconference game at 4 p.m. on March 30 at the University of Utah. The Bengals then play at North Dakota on April 1-2.