POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State softball team split their doubleheader with UVU Sunday Afternoon in Orem, Utah. The Bengals came back in game one to win 5-3 and lost game two with a UVU walk-off 7-6.
"Both games went back and forth today which forced us to really be resilient," said Head Coach Cristal Brown. "[I'm] proud of the mentality down to the last pitch."
ISU 5 – UVU 3
After trading two scoreless innings Isabel Cargill singled to right in the top of the third. She was then able to advance to second on a fielding error. Rheanne Lewis then followed with a double to right center and Cargill scored giving the Bengals a 1-0 lead.
The Bengals started the game with Mailee Newman on the mound, the junior pitcher held the Wolverines scoreless through four innings. In the bottom of the fourth, UVU put three runs on the board to take a 3-1 lead.
Staring down a UVU lead, the Bengals didn't blink. Kaylee Butterworth hit a single up the middle, then scored after Lewis singled to right. The Bengals trailed the Wolverines 3-2 heading to the bottom of the inning.
Newman, after giving up three runs in the previous inning, wasn't shook. The Bengal pitcher faced three batters in the bottom of the inning and retired three batters.
The Bengals used the momentum to come back in the top of the sixth to score three runs on five hits in the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, UVU had a chance to retake the lead after two batters were walked, but the Bengals didn't falter retiring the next two batters to end the inning.
Newman followed up the sixth by striking out two of the four batters she faced to end the inning and give the Bengals the 5-3 comeback victory.
The Bengals had 13 hits on 32 at bats. Three Bengals had three hits in the game and left eight on base.
Lewis led the team with 3 RBIs.
Newman pitched the complete game win giving up five hits and three runs. The Junior pitcher had four strikeouts
ISU 6 – UVU 7
The second game of the double-header saw the two teams battle to the last pitch.
The Bengals got on the board early in the second game. After Morgan Hess singled to left, Newman doubled to left center and Hess scored. Redshirt-Senior Frankie Tago then singled to third and Newman scored. The top of the first ended with a 2-0 Bengal lead.
ISU tacked on another run in the 2nd after Skyler Sethman doubled to left bringing in Amber Arreola. The Bengals led 3-0.
UVU brought in two runs in the bottom of the 3rd to make it 3-2 and tacked on a one-run homerun in the fourth to tie the game 3-3.
The Bengals retook the lead in the top of the 5th after Lewis singled then stole second. She then advanced to third on a sac fly by Shea Perkins. Tago hit another single to left and Lewis scored. The Bengals ended the top of the 5th up 4-3.
UVU hit another homerun for both teams to head into the sixth tied 4-4.
The Wolverines took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the 6th.
Facing a two-run deficit in the top of the 7th, Hess singled to left. Perkins stepped up to the plate and blasted a homerun over the left field wall tying the game at 6 heading into the bottom of the 7th.
After doubling to left, the Bengals caught the UVU runner trying to steal 3rd. The wolverines were able to get another runner on and walk off for a 7-6 win.
The Bengals out hit UVU 10-9. Perkins and Tago both had 2 RBIs.
Mareena Ramirez started the game pitching and Newman relief pitched the final two innings. The duo gave up nine hits and seven runs.
The Bengals are back in action Friday, Mar. 19 as they head to Phoenix, Arizona to play Grand Canyon University and New Mexico State over the weekend.
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