MISSOULA, Mont. - Sydney Groves crushed a three-run home run to left field in the seventh inning Sunday, and Marley Goluskin went the distance for the second straight day as Idaho State claimed the 2026 Big Sky Conference regular season championship with an 8-2 victory over Montana at Grizzly SB Field.
The Bengals (34-18, 9-5 Big Sky) jumped on the board in the first inning and never trailed, building a cushion that Goluskin protected through seven innings to deliver the program its second-straight Big Sky regular season title, the 6th in program history. The championship earns Idaho State the top seed and home field for next week's Big Sky Conference Tournament in Pocatello.
"Our team played great today, all phases of the game, handled some emotion," head coach Andrew Rich said. "They took care of business and did what we needed to do. Game one could have been the series, that could have been it. But the leadership, the people who have been here a long time, got together and said 'we win series, that's what we do.' And we got right back into it."
Idaho State got on the board in the first when Alyssa Yee doubled to left field and Camryn McDonald moved her to third with a sacrifice bunt. Ava Brown followed with a sacrifice fly to right to give the Bengals a 1-0 lead.
The Bengals blew the game open in the second inning with a three-run rally that knocked Montana's starter from the game. Jenna Kearns drew a leadoff walk, Kira Day singled to left to put two on, and Jaden Moore laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Kennedy Dudley then doubled to left-center, scoring Kearns and Day to make it 3-1. Yee's fly ball fell for an out, but Moore scored on a throwing error by the left fielder to cap the frame at 4-1.
Goluskin made quick work of Montana through the middle innings, relying on her defense and a ground-ball approach to limit damage. She threw 129 pitches in the complete game effort, allowing seven hits and three walks. The back-to-back start was unprecedented for her this season, 116 pitches Saturday followed by 129 Sunday, and Rich said the zone did her no favors on the second day.
"She gutted it out," Rich said. "That was the first time she's gone back-to-back days the entire season. Those hitters were seeing her seven, eight at-bats over two days. The zone was really tight today, but she battled through it, never once flinched. Every time you'd ask her how she was doing: 'I'm good, ready to go.' She gives you a lot of confidence to send her out there."
The Bengals' defense bailed out Goluskin on a critical fourth-inning play. With Montana threatening, Belle Navarrete's relay throw to Jenna Kearns cut down a Grizzly runner trying to score from second, a play Rich called pivotal.
"That diving play Belle made was huge," Rich said. "If that gets through, it's first and third, and we're only up five to two at that point. So that was a huge spot. Awesome for Belle."
Idaho State pushed the lead to 5-1 in the fifth when Yee drew a leadoff walk, McDonald singled to center and Brown followed with another single to center to load the bases with one out. Groves reached on a throwing error by the Montana third baseman, and Yee scored to make it 5-1. Montana pulled within 5-2 in the sixth when, with two outs and runners at first and second, Brianna Gutierrez singled to center to plate a run, but Goluskin got a flyout to right to strand the runners and end the inning.
The Bengals put the game away in the seventh. McDonald singled to right field, Brown singled through the left side, and Groves stepped in against Montana pitcher Carah Sweet with two runners on and the first pitch coming.
"First pitch, I was going no matter what," Groves said. "In my previous three at-bats I had at least two first-pitch strikes, and it was also a changeup, she wasn't gonna give it to me a fourth time."
Groves didn't miss it, turning on the changeup and driving it over the left field fence for a three-run shot, her second home run of the weekend, Â to push Idaho State ahead 8-2 and close out the scoring.
"She was ready for that pitch and was all over it," Rich said. "Yesterday she hit the big home run, today she hits the big home run. She's been huge all season for us."
"I'm just super grateful, just really happy to be here and get it done," Groves said. "We worked so hard this year and it's just totally paying off."
Goluskin retired the final three Montana batters in order to seal the title, finishing off a 48-hour stretch in which she threw 245 pitches across two complete games to deliver the championship.
Rich was equally effusive about Kearns, who managed Goluskin's pitch mix throughout and contributed offensively. "She's awesome behind the plate," Rich said. "The zone was tough on her and she ground through it. And she got to some really good at-bats and found a way to create offense for us too."
Dudley finished with two doubles, two RBI and a stolen base. McDonald went 2-for-3 with a run scored, and Brown was 2-for-3 with a run and a sacrifice fly RBI. Groves drove in four runs on the day.
With the regular season title in hand, Rich said the focus shifts immediately to staying grounded heading into next week. "We have an experienced group that knows what the tournament feels like," he said. "We need to be ourselves and play Idaho State softball and stay within ourselves, that's what's gonna get us over the hump."
BENGAL BITES
Championship: Idaho State wins the 2026 Big Sky Conference regular season title and earns the top seed for the Big Sky Conference Tournament, which the Bengals will host in Pocatello.
Goluskin iron woman: Marley Goluskin threw complete games in Games Two and Three of the series -- 116 pitches Saturday and 129 pitches Sunday -- marking the first time she has started on back-to-back days this season. She went 2-0 with a shutout and a two-run complete game over the final two games.
Groves weekend: Sydney Groves hit home runs in both Game Two and Game Three of the series, accounting for six RBI across the three-game set.
Dudley: Kennedy Dudley went 2-for-3 with two doubles, two RBI and a stolen base in Game Three, and drove in two runs in Game Two as well.
Short game: The Bengals executed a sacrifice bunt and a bunt single in the opening two innings, with McDonald's sac bunt in the first and Moore's bunt single in the second each directly setting up runs.
TEAM NOTES
Idaho State finishes the regular season 34-18 overall and 10-5 in Big Sky Conference play. The Bengals went 2-1 in the series at Montana to claim the conference title.
Idaho State won every conference series in the 2026 season, but did not sweep a single one, winning all five, 2-1
The Big Sky Conference Tournament begins Monday, May 4, in Pocatello. As the regular season champion, Idaho State earns a first-round bye and hosts all tournament games.
NEXT UP
Big Sky Conference Tournament: Beginning Monday, May 4 in Pocatello, Idaho, Idaho State as No. 1 seed and host
Big Sky Tournament Bracket
BOX SCORE HIGHLIGHTS
Idaho State hitting:
Groves 1-4, HR, 4 RBI, R | Dudley 2-3, 2 2B, 2 RBI, SB | McDonald 2-3, R | Brown 2-3, R, RBI, SF | Yee 1-3, 2B, 2 R, BB | Moore 1-2, R, BB
Pitching:
ISU -- Goluskin (W, 11-4) 7.0 IP CG, 7H, 2R, 2ER, 3BB, 1K, 129 pitches
ISU Line Score: 1-3-0-0-1-0-3 -- 8 R, 10 H, 0 E
UM Line Score: 0-1-0-0-0-1-0 -- 2 R, 7 H, 2 E
