POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team took the three-game series from Portland State by winning game 3 on Sunday afternoon 12-4 in five innings. A big key in the Bengals taking two of three from the Vikings was the play of the Bengal newcomers.
A day after freshman
Emma Bordenkecher hit three home runs in two games, it was another freshman who sparked the Bengals to the victory on Sunday.
ISU trailed Portland State 4-0 after the top of the second inning. But with one out the Bengals loaded the bases thanks to Bordenkecher singling up the middle, a bunt
Alex Portesi and
Shayna Dahlen getting hit by a pitch. That set up a grand slam by
Kelsey Breer to give the Bengals the spark it needed to take control of the game.
"Kelsey stuck to her plan and was looking for the pitch that she got," Idaho State coach
Candi Letts said. "She got it on the sweet spot and the ball went. That was obviously a huge momentum change because they were feeling pretty good. That was huge."
The Bengals would get five runs in the second inning, score four in the third, one the fourth and two in the fifth to earn the victory.
ISU scored its 12 runs on 13 hits and had two errors in the field while Portland State had 12 hits and committed four errors.
Portesi led the Idaho State offense by going 3-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored.
Haley Harrison was 3-4 with a run and RBI while
Sarah Hayes was 3-4 with one RBI and one run scored. Bordenkecher had another solid offensive outing by going 2-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Breers grand slam was her only hit of the game.
Ashlyn Ames earned the complete-game win, striking out four and scattering 12 hits.
Portland State took advantage of two ISU miscues in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. The Vikings would add another run in the top of the second.
"It was a slap in the face to start the game," Letts said. "Portland State came out hot. They felt like they had to come out hot to set the pace. We got caught back on our heals again. We told them there is seven innings to this game and you cannot think one inning is going to beat you and not one swing of the bat was going to beat them because we need base runners."
The players listed to Lett's advice.
Following Breer's grand slam, Harrison platted Hayes for the final run of the second inning.
In the Bengals four run third inning, Creekmore was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Bordenkecher then reached on a Viking miscue in the field and Portesi followed with a two-RBI double to center field. Hayes and Harrison both had RBI singles in the inning to up the Bengal lead to 9-4.
Bordenkecher would bring home ISU's only run in the fourth inning with a double to right-center and in the fifth inning Portesi had a walk-off two-RBI single to give the Bengals the five inning win.
"When they settled down and got their emotions in check they started swinging the bat like they knew they could," Letts said. "Ashlyn hung in there and she got quality pitches to get key outs when we needed them. We just needed to stay to our plan."
Idaho State plays at Sacramento State next weekend.
"Anytime you can win a series it is important and one through eight in our conference is parity across the board," Letts said. "It is going to be tough for the top six to get there."
