POCATELLO, Idaho – The Idaho State Bengals walked into first-place Sacramento State with the Hornets needing just one win to clinch the Big Sky Regular Season title. Not to back down from a challenge, the Bengals decided to instead sweep the Hornets in both day-one games, 1-0 and 7-5.
"This group knows what is at stake this weekend and they brought the right today and it was so much fun to see them perform to the level they did today," remarked Head Coach Andrew Rich postgame. "Can't say enough about the job that Jordan and Mailee did in the circle today.
It was great to see our offense come to life and answer the 3-run inning that Sacramento State had. We just had good at bat after good at bat that inning and then Skyler had a huge at bat to give us the lead there."
The Bengals went into the series with the Hornets expecting a potent offense that swept the Portland State Vikings the week before including a 9-0 win in Portland.
Seeing the challenge, the Bengal pitching duo of Jordan Schuring and Mailee Newman went to to work.
Schuring started the Bengals off in game one. Over seven innings, the Bengal put on a clinic, holding the Hornets to just four hits with five strikeouts and 13 flyouts.
The lone run in game one was scored in the sixth after Angelica Cano reached on a throwing error by the Hornets. The Bengals took advantage and after a single by Olivia Robison to advance Cano to third, the Bengals double-stole second and home to bring in the run and break the 0-0 stalemate.
Schuring went back to work and with two outs, caught the Hornet batter looking and won the game for the Bengals 1-0. The win is Schuring's eighth of the season and third of her last four starts.
The battled continued In game two with Mailee Newman in the circle. After two scoreless innings the Hornets cracked open the game with a three run third inning with a championship in their sights.
Instead of roll over and give up, the Bengals saw the deficit in the fourth and went to work. The Bengals quickly loaded the bases and after an Ava Brown single, the Hornet lead was cut to 3-1. Newman then followed with a single of her own cutting the lead to 3-2 and finally, the Bengals tied it with a fielders choice for Kaylee Butterworth and a throwing error by the Hornets.
With a tie game and bases loaded, the Bengals then looked to go on the offensive. Skyler Sethman stepped up to the plate and hammered her 13th extra-base hit of the season, a three RBI double to center field. Up 6-3 now, Sethman took advantage of a wild pitch an crossed home plate for the seventh run of the inning.
Up 7-3 the Bengal defense went back to work. Newman pitched another three up three down inning and then Schuring came in as relief to close out the game.
Headed to the bottom of the seventh with a 7-5 lead the Bengals kept working and with two outs and the tying run on second, Kaylee Butterworth grabbed the fly ball in left field and the Bengals finished the evening with the game two 7-5 victory.
The Bengals hit .283 as a team day one in Sacramento. Ava Brown led the team with a .714 BA with five hits and Five RBIs.
The Bengals and Hornets play one more tomorrow to keep their destiny in their own hands. First pitch is set for 1:00 PM MT and the game can be watched on ESPN+.
