POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State softball team split day one of the 2021 Grand Canyon Invitational. The Bengals started the day with a comeback extra-inning victory and fell to Grand Canyon in the second game.
Idaho State 13 – New Mexico State 12
The Bengals opened up the 2021 Grand Canyon Invitational with a statement walk-off win against New Mexico State. The two teams battled into extra innings before Idaho State was able to secure the 13-12.
The win was the Bengals fourth ever against the Aggies with the teams having played one another since the seventies.
For the first three innings, the Bengals and Aggies battled defensively with neither team able to score any runs.
The Bengals broke the stalemate in the bottom of the third. Mailee Newman and Kaylee Butterworth both hit singles. Facing two outs and two runners on, Bengal infielder Emma Bordenkecher hit a towering homerun over the left field wall giving the Bengals a 3-0 lead heading into the fourth.
NMSU wasted no time to respond scoring three runs I the top of the 4th and tying the game at 3-3. The Aggies then had a five-run 5th innings to take a 8-3 lead.
The Bengals and Aggies both tacked on more runs until the Aggies led 10-6 heading into the bottom of the 7th with the Bengals having one more half inning to do something.
Emma Bordenkecher got the Bengal momentum moving early, hitting her second homerun of the game to make it 10-7.
It didn't look good for the Bengals as Shea Perkins flied out and and Skyler Morgan Hess grounded out to second. The Bengals didn't give up though, Skyler Sethman singled to right field and Frankie Tago Newman doubled brining in a run to make it 8-10.
Angelica Cano then came to bat, she doubled to left field bringing in two runs and the two teams finished the 7th tied 10-10 and headed to extra innings.
The Aggies scored one run in the 8th to take a 11-10 lead.
The Bengals responded with a run driven in by a Hess single up the middle tying the game at 11-11.
Once again the Aggies drove in a run in the top of the 9th to take a 12-11 lead.
Needing to score to avoid defeat, the Bengals turned it on in the bottom of the inning. Tago singled up the middle advancing Sethman to third. Martinez doubled to left, bringing in Sethman and tying the game again at 12-12.
Rheanne Lewis stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a single to center field, brining in the Bengal runner and walking off the game for the ISU win.
ISU hit .381 as a team with 16 hits, three doubles and two homeruns. Six Bengals hit above .400 on the game. Three Bengals finished the game with perfect 1.000 hitting percentages including Newman who went 3-3 with a double and an RBI.
Bordenkecher hit .600 with two homeruns and five RBIs for a 1.800 slg%. Butterworth hit .500 for the game and Sethman hit .400 in five at bats.
The Bengals had no errors on the game with 27 putouts.
Mareena Ramirez picks up the win after pitching 5.1 innings with two strikeouts. Emma Montoya threw 3.2 innings facing 22 batters with 10 hits.
The Bengals face Grand Canyon University later in the day for the second game of the tournament.
Idaho State 5 – Grand Canyon 13
The Bengals fell to the Grand Canyon Lopes 13-5 Friday afternoon.
The lopes got on the board in the bottom of the 1st inning putting five runs on the board.
The Bengals responded in the top of the third, going on a run and scoring four runs to bring the deficit to 5-4.
The Lopes would continue their offensive push throughout the rest of the game scoring 9 more runs to finish the game 13-5 after 5 innings.
The Bengals had nine hits and five runs.
Tournament Continues
The tournament continues tomorrow as the Bengals take on NMSU at 1:30 p.m. and Grand Canyon at 6:00 p.m.
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