Graysen Ludiker
Assistant Director of Media Relations
The Idaho State softball team opened Big Sky Conference play with a doubleheader sweep over Portland State Saturday afternoon.
The Bengals took the first two games in the three-game series with a 2-1 win in the opener and a 7-6 win in the following game at Miller Ranch Stadium.
Idaho State tallied 16 hits between the two games with Emma Bordenkecher leading the way.
ISU’s right fielder was 5-7 with five RBIs, one home run, a double and a trio of singles. Aubrey Creekmore also had an impressive day at the plate with her first home run of the season, two doubles and a single in a 4-6 effort.
MaKenzie Van Sickle, Billie Jean Wells and Danni Ryan all added one RBI apiece. In all, seven Bengals tallied a hit.
Autumn Pease collected the win in game 1 after pitching a no-hitter through six innings. The freshman pitched eight innings, allowed three hits and one run, and tallied six strikeouts with just one walk in her seventh victory of the season.
Mariah Mulcahy was the winning pitcher in game 2 after going the full seven. The junior allowed 11 hits and six runs while striking out four and walking two.
Game 1 was a pitching duel between Pease and PSU’s Katie Schroeder. While Pease spun a no-hitter gem through six, her counterpart scattered seven hits and allowed just one run. Creekmore broke the scoreless game in the bottom of the sixth with a one out, solo shot to left center.
The Vikings responded in the top of the seventh after Jessica Flanagan broke up ISU’s no hitter with a single to center field. Kaela Morrow drove Flanagan in for the tying run with a two-out double to right field, and the Bengals were hitless in the bottom half of the frame.
Pease worked her way around a leadoff single in the top of the eighth to get ISU back to the plate. Serafine Parrish entered in relief for PSU to begin the inning. Bordenkecher began the rally after reaching on a fielding error. Shayna Dahlen laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner to second, and Wells singled up the middle to drive in the winning run in walk-off fashion.
In game 2, the Bengals chased PSU’s starting pitcher, Alyssa Burk, out of the game after just 1.1 innings pitched. Creekmore sparked the offense once again with a double to right center and advanced to third on Frankie Tago’s single to left.
Ryan drove in Creekmore, and ISU loaded the bases shortly after. Van Sickle took a pitch to bring in a run and Bordenkecher followed with a grand slam to left field, giving the Bengals a 6-0 advantage.
The Vikings scored their first run in the top of the third and tacked on three more in the fourth after back-to-back doubles and a two-run blast to center field. Haley Harrison singled up the middle in the sixth and was driven in by a Bordenkecher double down the left-field line to give ISU a three-run buffer heading into the seventh inning.
Mulcahy produced two quick outs, but gave up a two-run home run two batters later. With a runner on first, PSU’s Alexis Morrison hit a sharp ground ball that looked like it would squeeze through the right side of the infield. Harrison dove and knocked down the ball before firing a bullet to third to catch PSU’s runner attempting to take an extra base, securing the sweep with a nontraditional out.
Idaho State is now 4-0 at Miller Ranch Stadium with two doubleheader sweeps.
