Bengals Fall Short in Conference Tournament
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Pocatello – Another great season for the Idaho State softball team comes to a disappointing end as the Bengals lost twice on Friday in the Big Sky Conference tournament at Miller Ranch Stadium in Pocatello. Bengals lost 9-1 to Weber State in the first game of the day. Then were eliminated in a 10-6 loss to Sacramento State.
Head coach Julie Wright took the blame for the loss. “I was out-coached. I let my team down. I let the community down.”
In the second game, the Bengals gave up five runs in top of the first only to roar back and match the Hornets with five runs of their own the the bottom frame. Sacramento State came back with another three runs in the top of the second inning to put the Hornets back on top 8-5.
Once again the Bengals responded. The Big Sky Player of the year Vicky Galasso plunked the scoreboard with her 20th home run of the year. It was looking like only an act of God could slow down both teams bats. That’s exactly what happened. Lightning and hail forced an hour and a half rain delay.
Idaho State didn’t do anything offensively after that. Wright says it didn’t have anything to do with the weather. “We stopped our own momentum. It wasn’t the weather it was us.”
The Bengals finish the season with a 34-18 record and a third straight regular season title. Accomplishments Wright says are bittersweet. “It is hard to look back on that when you don’t do anything with it.”
Wright got emotional talking about her outgoing seniors, her first recruiting class at Idaho State. “They’ve had great careers. They played incredible.”