Feb. 16, 2008

Box Score

Tempe, AZ --- Idaho State came oh-so-close again, but didn't have enough in either game of Saturday's action in the Kajikawa Classic, dropping a nail-biter to Temple 8-5, and then losing to #6 Northwestern 14-2 in six innings, a game ISU led for a while at 2-0. The Bengals dropped to 0-7 on the season, with two games left in the Kajikawa Classic, facing off against Memphis on Sunday at 11:00 am and then against UMKC at 2:00 pm.

The Bengals opened the day against Temple University, and the Owls were coming off a major upset, dumping #25 Oregon State 4-2. ISU opened the game slowly, allowing two runs in the top of the first. Andrea Coburn (0-3) allowed a leadoff homerun to Krystle Metzler, and Temple tacked on another run in the first on a couple of walks, an error and a sacrifice fly.

The Bengals answered back to take their first lead of the season in the bottom of the fourth getting three unearned runs. With the bases loaded, Heather Dixon, ISU's leader in runs batted in, knocked in two with a single to tie the game, and after Ivy Sessions was hit with a pitch, Christine Shollenberger drew a bases loaded walk for a 3-2 lead. ISU couldn't extend the inning when Merissa Jannsen struck out. Jannsen, who was tied for the team lead in batting entering the game at .500, struck out three times and left eight runners on base.

The fact that ISU would leave 13 on base would come back to haunt them, but Coburn settled down aft erhte leadoff home run, and she entered the top of the sixth having allowed just that hit, having retired 13 in a row at one point. However, the top of the sixth did not go well. With one out and runners on second and third, Natalie Wagner tied the game with a single. After a strikeout, it looked like ISU was out of the inning, but Krista Armstrong threw wide of first on the potential third out, allowing two runs to score, making it 5-3.

ISU got one back on a Shollenberger sacrifice fly that scored Megan Miller, who went a perfect 4-for-4 with a walk in the leadoff slot. However, three more unearned runs in the seventh gave Temple an 8-4 lead as Courtney Norene smacked a two-out three run home run as the inning was prolonged by a Dixon error. Dixon had a chance to atone for the miscue in the bottom of the seventh.

After two quick outs, ISU got three straight singles from Whitney Chaffe, Miller and Armstrong to make it 8-5, and Dixon came up as the tying run, but she got under one and popped out to short to end the game.

ISU then had to bounce right back to take on Northwestern, who came into the game ranked #6 in the country and was coming off a morning 8-5 win over #1 Arizona. Idaho State shocked everyone as they scored two runs in the first inning, one earned for a 2-0 lead. Megan Miller reached for the sixth straight time, this one on an error, and then in possibly the craziest inning in ISU's recent history, ISU netted two runs.

Miller went to second on a wild pitch, and then to third on a second wild pitch that was also ball four to Amber Sackett. Sackett then stole second, and Dixon was retired via a strikeout, although the ball got away, but not far enough for anyone to reach or advance. Sackett moved to third and Miller scored on a third wild pitch by starter Jessica Smith, a freshman in her first game. Ivy Sessions then singled home Sackett, and Ivy eventually went to second on a fourth wild pitch, and the third on a fifth. Britney Olsin struck out but was safe at first after the ball got away and a bad throw resulted in an error, but Wailana Buchanan grounded out to short, ending an inning that totaled two runs, a hit, two error, a stolen base, and five wild pitches.

ISU held that lead until the third, when Northwestern touched ISU freshman for Natasha Milosevich for five runs, two earned as ISU committed a pair of costly errors in the frame. That was all Northwestern would need as Smith settled down and allowed only one other hit, a fourth inning single by Jannsen, the rest of the way.

Northwestern would add two more runs in the fifth, and then the exploded for seven in the sixth, sending 13 batters to the plate. The Wildcats hit a pair of home runs in the inning, and Milosevich seemed to tire, walking five in the inning.

Overall, Megan Miller was solid for ISU, going 4-for-7 on the day, and Ivy Sessions went 3-for-5 with an RBI. Andrea Coburn took the loss against Temple, and Milosevich the same against Northwestern. Coburn allowed only five hits and just two of the eight runs she allowed were earned. Milosevich allowed 15 hits and 10 earned runs.

NOTES: Miller became the fourth Bengal to have four hits in a game, joining Christine Shollenberger, who did it last year against Utah Valley, and Cassie Davies, who did it in eight at bats in an 18-inning game against Weber State in 1983 ... Milosevich did complete her first game of the season ... Miller's average jumped to .320 ... ISU has committed 16 errors in seven games ... ISU is 3-for-4 stealing bases, while their opponents are 15-of-19.