POCATELLO, Idaho – Idaho State softball only played six games at home this season. After the season-opening game on February, 10, the Bengals had 18 games postponed or canceled due to adverse weather. Over the course of the season, they only practiced on their diamond about 10 times.
Facing all of those challenges, the Orange and Black went into Ogden, Utah and won a share of the Big Sky Regular Season Championship Thursday afternoon. A game that saw dazzling defensive plays, strong offensive hits and true to the season a weather delay.
Facing the Weber State Wildcats in a decisive Big Sky Conference series, the Bengals earned the 12-8 win behind Emma McMurray's pitching in the circle and a season-high offensive output.
Coach Rich and Emma McMurray Postgame
After losing game two of the series, Wednesday afternoon, the Bengals needed to start the championship-deciding game three with a bang.
Skyler Sethman stepped up to the plate for the game's first at-bat. After working herself into a 2-2 count, Sethman connected, launching the ball over the left field wall for the first run of the game and her fourth home run of the season.
After trading outs in the second, the Bengals went into the third looking to open the game up. Angelica Cano started the Bengals off right with a single to right field.
Olivia Robison stepped up looking to continue the momentum, but mother nature had other plans. Before another pitch could be thrown, lightning was recorded in the area and both teams were forced to clear the field and head to the locker rooms for 30 minutes.
Instead of stewing in silence during the delay, the team played games and told jokes, keeping the mood light and relaxed as they prepared to get back on the field.
If the break affected the Bengals, they didn't show it coming out swinging after the delay. Robison went back to work hitting a single to left. Ava Brown then reached on a Weber error and the bases were loaded with no outs in the third.
Mailee Newman slammed a single to center scoring Robison, followed by a Kennedy Dudley single scoring brown.
With runners on the corners, Gracie Smith pinch-running and Dudley forced the Wildcats into a throwdown, allowing Smith to take home plate.
At the end of the top of the inning, the Bengals held a 5-1 lead over Weber State and momentum favored the Orange and Black.
Reigning conference champion Weber State wasn't going to give up that easily. In an explosion of offense, the Wildcats cut the lead to 5-3 before slamming a three-run home run over the left field wall taking a 6-5 lead after three.
If there is one thing that this Bengal squad has confronted this season, it's adversity.
The Bengals had a championship in their sights and they were not giving up. Alyssa Yee got the Bengals going with a single to right field and Angelica Cano drew a walk. The Bengals then took advantage of another Weber State throwing error and Yee crossed the plate, tying the game at 6-6 in the fourth.
Ava Brown singled to third base and the bases were loaded for Kennedy Dudley. The Bengal freshman stepped up to the plate and with ice in her veins, hammered a ball into center field. Turning on the jets, Dudley sprinted the bases landing at third and giving the Bengals a 9-6 lead.
With all the momentum on the Bengals' side, Emma McMurray stepped back into the circle in the bottom of the inning and forced the Wildcats into three-straight flyouts.
Into the sixth, after a Paige Simpson walk, Kaylee Butterworth laid a perfect bunt down and sped through the first base bag for the infield single.
Yee then hit her second consecutive single scoring Simpson and advancing Butterworth to third.
Angelica Cano was already three-for-three on the day, stepping into the box, Cano made it a perfect four-for-four, scoring Butterworth and the final run for the Bengals to put them up 12-6.
Weber was able to tack on two more runs and the two teams went into the bottom of the seventh with ISU leading 12-8 and a championship just three outs away.
Weber wasn't going down easy; the Wildcats started the inning off with a double to left. The Bengal defense took a breath and went back to work. The next batter slammed what surely would have been an RBI line drive, but Simpson had other thoughts. Laying her body full out, Simpson dove and snagged the missile in the air for the first out of the inning, holding the Weber runner at second.
McMurray then forced the final two Weber Batters to fly out to Ava Brown waiting in center field.
After grabbing the final flyout, the Bengals converged at the circle, celebrating the first Big Sky Championship for the Orange and Black since the 2015 season.
Not only did the win give the Bengals a share of the Big Sky Regular Season Championship, it also secured the #1 seed in the upcoming tournament and hosting rights for next year's championship tournament.
Tournament
The Bengals head back to Ogden, Utah next week for the 2023 Big Sky Tournament. As the one seed, ISU has a first-game bye and will face the winner of Weber State/Portland State Wednesday, May 10 at 2:30 PM MT.
The games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and tournament info will follow in the coming days.
