Three home runs not enough to stop Bengals

PROVO, Utah – Three different players recorded a home run, but it wasn’t enough for the BYU softball team to beat Idaho State as the Bengals won 6-4 on Friday night at Gail Miller Field.

“They scored their first four runs on base-on-balls, they didn’t even have to earn them,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “It was a very disappointing game.”

Carly Duckworth, Sydney Broderick and Katie Manuma each hit home runs. Duckworth and Manuma now have four on the season, tying them with McKenzie St. Clair and Coco Tauali’i. Sophomore Gordy Bravo went 2-3 with a walk.

Idaho State (19-12) took an early 2-0 in the first inning off an RBI single by Terah Blackwell. BYU (11-19) scored in the first frame too off Sydney Broderick’s first career home run to center field to bring the Cougars within one, 2-1. The Cougars are now 6-4 when scoring in the first inning.

In the third inning, St. Clair doubled and Duckworth followed immediately with a home run to bring in both runners.

Freshman McKenna Bull took over the pitching duties from Tori Almond in the fifth inning. With two outs in the same frame, Idaho State’s Katelyn Marquez crossed home plate off an RBI single from Vicky Galasso to tie the game, 3-3. Still in the fifth, the Bengals regained the lead as Micheala Taylor took advantage of a wild pitch and to cross home from third.

Manuma hit a leadoff home run down center field in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, 4-4.

Bull stuck out two batters and outfielder Lacey Millett-Hofstedt tracked down a fly ball to help keep the Bengals scoreless in the sixth inning. Idaho State reciprocated by not allowing a runner to score in the sixth.

In the final inning, the Bengals took the lead again after Hailey Breakwell hit an RBI double to right-center field to bring Kacie Burnett home. The next Idaho State batter singled to left field to bring in another and make it 6-4 in favor of the Bengals. Bull then struck out two consecutive batters to pass Almond for third on BYU’s all-time freshman strikeouts record with 97.

Bravo hit a leadoff single before Ashley Thompson also walked in the bottom on the seventh inning. The two Cougars each advanced a base thanks to a Manuma fly ball to center and a Bengal error. St. Clair then walked to load the bases for BYU with one out.

However, Duckworth and Ashlee Robinson both flied out to center field to seal the victory for Idaho State.

The Cougars and Bengals play again tomorrow in a doubleheader. The first game will begin at 1 p.m. MDT and the second scheduled to start at 3 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live on theW.tv.