POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho state softball team bounced back in a major way Saturday afternoon sweeping both games with the Montana Griz, taking the series win 2-1.
The Bengals started the day with a 5-1 win in game one and then followed it up with an 11-3 six-inning walk-off win over Montana in game two.
Coach Rich's Thoughts
The Bengals started off the game with a strong seven-inning performance. Mailee Newman took over in the circle from the first pitch. Over the course of seven innings, Newman only allowed one run with five strikeouts and no walks given up.
Offensively, Angelica Cano went on a tear in the game. After two scoreless innings, Skyler Sethman and Kaylee Butterworth reached sending Cano up to the plate. Facing down the Montana pitcher, Cano hammered a ball over the center field wall putting the Bengals up 3-0.
The Griz scored a run in the fifth to cut the lead to two before the Bengals were back up to bat. Skyler Sethman beat out the throw to first after the catcher dropped the third strike and Cano stepped up once again to bat. As she had once already, the Bengal stared down the Montana pitcher before hitting her second homerun of the day, a two-run blast over the left field wall.
The Bengal defense took over with a 5-1 lead and held the Griz scoreless over the final two innings to secure the game 1 win.
Game two started strong for the Griz with a top-of-the-first three-run home run.
Staring down an early 3-0 deficit, the Bengals went to work.
On the first at bat of the game, Skyler Sethman launched a homerun to immediately cut the lead. After Kaylee Butterworth and Cano reached. Newman grounded out, but Butterworth put on the jets and scored the second run of the inning.
After one, the Bengals cut the Griz lead to one run at 2-3.
After shutting down the Griz in the 2nd, Ava Brown followed with a solo homerun to tie the game.
The rest of the game was all Idaho State. In the fourth Sethman grounded out, but scored Dudley to break the tie at 4-3 Bengals.
In the fifth, Newman drew a walk and Sophia Stoddard stepped up to the plate. On the first pitch she faced, the CSI transfer cranked a home run over the right-field wall putting the Bengals up 6-3. The blast was the first homerun for Stoddard in the Orange and Black.
With two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Bengals didn't give up and instead got to work.
It started off with Morgan Hess drawing a walk as a pinch-hitter, Butterworth then re-entered to run the bases. After stealing second, Cano singled to right field and Butterworth scored.
Brook Richards then singled advancing Cano. Following her homerun, Stoddard singled to short and the Bengals had the bases loaded.
After an error by the Griz left-fielder, Cano scored and the Bengals advanced to second and third.
The Griz made a pitching change who then walked in the 9th run of the game for the Bengals.
With the walk off in her sights, Ava Brown smashed a single to left scoring the two runs and finishing the Bengals 11-3 mercy-rule win over the Griz.
Jordan Schuring got the complete game win for the Bengals in the circle only allowing seven hits and not giving up a walk.
Series Recap
The Bengals hit .315 as a team with 29 hits, 11 of which were extra-base hits. ISU hit six home runs in the series
Angelica Cano led the team offensively with a .667 series batting average. The Bengal had thee extra-base hits and seven RBIs to finish with a 1.444 Slugging percentage. Cano finished the series with a .667 on base percentage and was perfect In the field with 23 putouts and zero errors.
Sophia Stoddard hit .500 for the series with three hits and two RBIS
In three games, the Bengal pitching staff only allowed one walk.
Mailee Newman and Jordan Schuring finished the weekend with a combined 1.96 ERA.
On Deck
Next week, the Bengals first head to Boise to take on the BSU Broncos. Then, the Orange and Black heads to Sacramento to take on the Sac State Hornets in a pivotal Big Sky Conference series.
