Down 9-3 heading into the fourth inning of the second game, SeattleU took advantage of control problems by Bengal starter Nora Maschue, as Sandra Hernandez (Redlands, Calif.), Hannah Klein (Camarillo, Calif.), and Jessica Amador (Whittier, Calif.) all drew walks to load the bases. A ground ball by Katie Antich (Spokane, Wash.) was mishandled by second baseman Taylor Marchione, allowing Hernandez to score. Rose Harrington (Missoula, Mont.) and Jessica Ulrich (Lewiston, Idaho) each drew walks to force in two more runs to bring the Redhawks within three.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Amador led off with a walk, followed by a single by Harrington and a walk to Ulrich to load the bases. Theresa Clark (Lakewood, Colo.) sent a single to right field that drove in Amador and Harrington to cut the Idaho State lead to 9-8. Megan MacIsaac (Santa Barbara, Calif.) hit a ground ball towards first base, but Erin Olander could not handle it, allowing both Ulrich and Clark to score to put the Redhawks ahead, 10-9. SeattleU loaded the bases once again, and Katie Gould (Medford, Ore.) drove in MacIsaac with an insurance run on a fielder's choice.
Kelsey Reynolds (Kent, Wash.) came on in relief of Ulrich, who allowed the first five Bengals to reach base and score, capped by a two-run single by Olander and a three-run home run from Jessica Baca. Despite giving up three home runs early in her stint, Reynolds was able to pick up the victory after settling down and allowing only three hits in the final four innings.
In the first game, two passed balls, including one on a swinging third strike, helped in allowing SeattleU to load the bases in the first inning. MacIsaac walked to force in the first run, and Clark drove in two more runs with a single down the left field line. After Gould singled to load the bases again, Allegra Wilde (Kennewick, Wash.) singled to left field to score MacIsaac. Hernandez followed with a shot over the left-field fence for a grand slam home run. After Antich notched her second hit of the inning, Ulrich sent a blast over the left field fence to give the Redhawks a 10-0 lead.
Idaho State (6-23, 0-2 PCSC Mountain) responded with three runs in the top of the second inning off SeattleU starter Klein, but the sophomore settled down afterwards, allowing just two hits in the final three innings of work. Meanwhile, Hernandez hit a three-run home run to left field in the fourth inning to increase SeattleU's lead back to ten runs, and the game ended when the Bengals failed to score in the top of the fifth, invoking the eight-run rule.
Coming into the game with just five runs batted in, Hernandez earned seven RBI in the first game of the doubleheader. Clark scored three times and drove in five runs during the twinbill, and Wilde also made a significant impact by earning three hits in four at-bats. The Redhawks scored 24 runs on just 15 hits in the two games, taking advantage of 15 walks by Maschue and Kandis Clesson, who was saddled with the loss in both games.
For Idaho State, Desirae Hoffman, Olander, and Baca each picked up three hits in the two games, with Olander and Baca driving in three runs apiece. The Bengals actually garnered more hits than the Redhawks in the doubleheader with 18.
Idaho State last competed in a conference in 1982 as part of the Intermountain Athletic Conference, while this served as Seattle University's first Division I conference games in the sport of softball. Before Saturday, the Redhawks last competed in a conference game on May 3, 2008, sweeping a doubleheader over Saint Martin's to clinch a tie for the Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season crown.
Seattle University (6-22-1, 2-0 PCSC Mountain) will host Idaho State in another conference doubleheader Sunday, April 11, beginning at 10:30 a.m. at Logan Field. In accordance with conference guidelines, Idaho State will be designated as the home team for both Sunday games.