POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State softball team fell behind early before using a huge fourth inning to surge past Utah State for a 9-6 win Wednesday afternoon at Miller Ranch Stadium. The nonconference win brings Idaho State to 14-17 on the season while Utah State fell to 11-18.
Each hitter in the top-five of ISU's batting lineup tallied an RBI.
Emma Bordenkecher sparked the offense once again with a perfect 3-3 performance at the plate. The junior knocked in three runs and crossed the plate twice herself while hitting a homerun and two singles.
MaKenzie Van Sickle was 2-3 on the day and collected a pair of RBIs on a hit by pitch and single.
Frankie Tago was the third ISU player with a multi-hit game. The first baseman connected for a couple of singles and scored following both hits.
Mailee Newman relieved
Kelsea Sweeney in the fourth inning and earned the win after pitching 3.0 innings while allowing just three hits and one run.
Danni Ryan took the circle in the top of the seventh and tallied her first save of the season.
Utah State jumped to an early advantage with a two-run frame to open play. The Aggies took advantage of two ISU errors to push runs across on a sacrifice fly and a two-out single.
Van Sickle and
Haley Harrison both drilled early pitches from Utah State's Kapri Toone in their first at bats but were robbed by stellar defensive plays. Bordenkecher made sure no play could be made on her ball as she sent a line drive over the left-field fence to put ISU on the board.
Utah State extended its lead with two home runs in the third inning, putting Idaho State in a 5-1 hole. The Bengals were able to get one run back with a bases-loaded walk by
Shayna Dahlen in the bottom half of the inning but stranded three runners.
Newman entered the game in the fourth and retired her first three batters to give ISU some momentum. Her offense responded with five runs on three hits in the back half of the inning.
Jayden DeMoss and Tago hit back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Van Sickle wore a pitch to bring in the first run, and Harrison brought in another shortly after. Bordenkecher chased Utah State's reliever out of the game with a two-RBI single up the middle, and Harrison came home on a double steal.
Small-ball tactics allowed Van Sickle to drive in another run on a single in the fifth, and each team tallied a run in the sixth. It was the reigning Big Sky Player of the Week,
Aubrey Creekmore, who drove in the final run with a one-out single through the right side. Ryan earned the save in the seventh while facing just three batters after ISU turned a double play to begin the inning.
The Bengals are back in action this week in Greeley, Colo. Idaho State and Northern Colorado will play a double header beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday before concluding the series Saturday afternoon.
