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Box Score 2 POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State softball team picked up two wins in a doubleheader against Montana Friday afternoon at Miller Ranch Stadium, besting the Griz 6-4 in game 1 with an 8-7 win in eight innings in game 2.
The Bengals never trailed in game 1, surging ahead 6-1 following a triple from junior
Kacie Burnett that allowed senior
Katelyn Marquez to cruise in to home for the five-run lead. In the top of the fifth, Montana's Madeline Merritt advanced to third base after two consecutive grounders that gave the Bengals two outs but left Merritt alone on third. UM's Sydney Stites hit a double to left field allowing Merritt to score UM's second run.
Idaho State prevented the Griz from scoring another until the top of the seventh when a homerun from Delene Colburn scored the Griz's final two runs. The Bengals forced two outs on the next two batters and ended the game with a 6-4 advantage.
Burnett led the Bengals in the first game with three hits, two runs and two RBIs. Senior
Katelyn Marquez also came up big for ISU with three hits and two runs. Senior
Sophie Slagle earned the win for the Bengals in the first game allowing eight hits and four runs with three strikeouts in seven innings.
In the second game, Idaho State fell behind 4-0 early after the Bengals gave up three runs in the first inning alone. ISU was held scoreless in the bottom of the first inning, and Montana's Stites reached first following an ISU error giving Alex Wardlow the unearned run for the 4-0 lead.
In the bottom of the third, ISU turned on the burners with four runs on four hits. Senior
Micheala Taylor and Marquez scored following a double from senior
Maddy Hickman to cut UM's lead to two, 4-2. Sophomore
Ashlyn Ames stepped up to the plate and homered for two RBIs to even the score at four.
The next two innings were scoreless for both squads. In the top of the sixth, Montana loaded the bases following a double from Tori Lettus, a single from Gabby Martinez that advanced Lettus to third, a stolen second base from Martinez and an ISU throwing error that advanced MaKenna McGill to first. A sacrifice fly from Stites allowed Lettus to score to put UM back in the lead, 5-4.
In the bottom of the sixth, ISU scored two runs to retake the lead 6-5. With Bengals on second and third base, Marquez hit a big triple for two RBIs; Burnett grounded out on the next at-bat to close the inning.
Montana scored two run in the top of the seventh to once again regain the lead, 7-6. In the bottom of the seventh with the game on the line and the bases loaded, freshman
Ashley Morris hit the sacrifice fly to for the game-tying run. Montana forced the third out after Taylor grounded to second base to push the game to the eighth inning.
ISU prevented the Griz from a single hit in the top of the eighth, setting up the Bengals for a chance for the win in the bottom of the eighth.
ISU opened the bottom of the eighth with a quick out after Marquez grounded out to the pitcher. Burnett was second at-bat the Bengals and reached first base after being walked. Shortly thereafter she stole second while Hickman singled to the shortstop to advanced Burnett to third. Next up to bat was Ames who hit a sacrifice fly to center field allowing Burnett to score for the 8-7 advantage and the win.
"I'm proud of the girls because we relinquished the lead, we tied it and then we ended up coming back and winning it in a dramatic fashion wish Ashlyn getting the game-winning RBI," Head Coach
Candi Letts said. "These kids are so used to coming back when they are down, even at home. I think that's where that experience of playing at home and winning regular-season championships comes in. They are used to being able to pull it thought because they believe."
The Bengals return to the field Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. at Miller Ranch Stadium in the third and final game of the ISU-Montana series.
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