PHOTO GALLERY
OGDEN, Utah- OGDEN, Utah- Survive and advance. That is just what the Idaho State softball team did on Friday at Wildcat Field on the campus of Weber State. The Bengals eliminated North Dakota 4-1 at 12 p.m. and then sent Sacramento State home with a 9-7 win in the night cap.
"The kids have had a really good mindset coming into today," Idaho State coach
Candi Letts said. "They are having fun playing softball and if they continue to do that they will give themselves an opportunity to win and set themselves up for success."
The Bengals advance to play Weber State at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning. The winner of that game will play Montana for the championship and have to beat the Griz twice.
Idaho State had 21 hits on the day and was led by
Kacie Burnett going 5-7 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Ashlyn Ames and
Sarah Hayes each had four hits while
Haley Harrison and
Alex Portesi had three.
Ames went the distance in both Friday wins. She tossed 14 innings, allowing eight runs, two walks and striking out six.
"It is taxing on you but if you have the mindset that you know it is on your shoulders you dig in deep and find a way to get it done," Letts said on Ames. "She is like 'This is what I am supposed to do. I am going to throw until I can't throw anymore and I am going to help our team win. I am going to give them an opportunity to play and win.' That is what she did. She knows she is going to get the ball. She gives us a good chance. Our players play hard behind her."
 In the win over North Dakota the Bengals were in control the entire game after jumping out to a 2-0 lead after the third inning.  ISU had nine hits, led by two from
Ashlyn Ames,
Alex Portesi and
Kelsey Breer.
Ames earned the win in the circle by pitching a complete game, scattering seven hits, one run and striking out four.
Idaho State scored two runs in the third inning. With one out Breer doubled to center field and she would advance to third on a wild pitch.
Hayes then singled home Breer on a hit to the short stop. Hayes later scored on an RBI single to left field by Ames.
North Dakota scored a run in the top of the fourth but ISU countered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Portesi led off with a single to center field and she then scored on an RBI single by
Harrison. Harrison would score on a ground out by
Shayna Dahlen.
In the win over Sacramento State the Hornets took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning. But the Bengals then rallied with two runs in the third and three in the fourth to lead 5-1. Sac State cut the ISU lead to 5-3 before scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 9-3 lead going into the seventh inning.
The Hornets rallied and scored four runs in the seventh but Ames fought off the rally to earn the win.
"I tip my hat to Sacramento State," Letts said. "That is the way the game should be played. Nobody dies until that last out. Lorie does such a good job with that team. For us to put the pressure on all game and come up with clutch hits and have people come in off the bench and do their job was big."
ISU's first two runs scored against the Hornets came off a two-RBI double to center field by Ames. In the fourth inning Burnett had a two-RBI single while Breer had an RBI and
Aubrey Creekmore scored a run.
With ISU leading 5-1, Sac State scored a run in the fifth and sixth inning to cut its deficit to 5-3 going into the bottom of the sixth. But in the bottom half of the inning the Bengals scored four runs on three hits to take a 9-3 lead. Ames,
Jennie Murillo, Harrison and Portesi all had RBIs in the inning.
Coach Letts talks about her teams win over North Dakota
Coach Letts talks about her teams win over Sacramento State
Ashlyn Ames talks about her teams 2 wins on Friday
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