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POCATELLO, Idaho- The Idaho State softball team beat Utah State 7-3 and lost to Utah Valley University 11-3 in six innings on Wednesday afternoon on the campus of UVU in Orem, Utah.
The Bengals had 14 hits on the day, led by
Makenzie VanSickle going 4-6 and scoring four runs.
Ashlyn Ames had three hits, two doubles and two RBIs while
Cassidy FitzGerald had two hits and three RBIs.
Kelsey Breer also had two hits on the day.
Ashlyn Ames earned the win over Utah State. She pitched a complete game, allowing eight hits, five runs, one walk and four strikeouts.
Mariah Mulcahy took the loss against the Wolverines. She pitched 3.1 innings, allowing eight hits, seven runs, walking six and recording three strikeouts.
Danni Ryan pitched the final two innings in the loss.
"We did what we needed to do to win vs. Utah State," Idaho State coach
Candi Letts said. "We didn't capitalize on that for the next game. We left too many runners in scoring position early. We gave too many opportunities for Utah Valley to take advantage of."
In the win over the Aggies, VanSickle was 2-3 and scored two runs. FitzGerald was 2-3 and had three RBIs.
Utah State led 1-0 after the first inning. The Bengals scored a run in the second and third inning to take a 2-1 lead after the top of the third inning.
With one out
Aubrey Creekmore singled up the middle and FitzGerald followed with another single up middle. Creekmore would score the run on an Aggie wild pitch.
VanSickle led the third off with a single to center field and she would later score on an double by Ames.
Utah State scored two runs in the third to take a 3-2 lead. ISU countered with a five run fifth inning to take a 7-3 lead. All five runs came on only one hit. VanSickle was hit by a pitch to start the inning and
Haley Harrison walked.
Then with one out
Emma Bordenkecher reached on a fielder's choice, allowing the runners to advance. VanSickle later stole home for first run. Creekmore had an RBI on a fielders choice and FitzGerald had a three RBI double to right-center.
The Aggies scored two runs in the sixth inning but the Bengal defense and Ames withstood the rally.
Against Utah Valley, ISU had seven hits but committed three errors and left 11 runners on base.
VanSickle was 2-3 while Breer was 2-3 and scored one run. Ames was 2-4 with an RBI.
Utah Valley led the entire game. The Wolverines held a 3-1 lead after the first and a 7-2 lead after four innings. ISU had a run in the fifth but UVU tacked onto their lead with two runs in the fifth and two in the sixth.
Idaho State returns to the field for its home opener Saturday, March 24, vs. Montana. The doubleheader begins at 2 p.m. The final game of the series is Sunday, March 25 at 1 p.m.
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