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Idaho State University senior center fielder Ava Brown attaches the ISU sticker to the Big Sky Softball Championship semifinal spot following the Bengals’ Monday victory over the University of Montana. Idaho State won its tournament opener by run-rule, with a final score of 10-1, before winning its next two games, both against Sacramento State, also by run-rule. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
POCATELLO — The Idaho State Bengals entered this week having never won a conference tournament championship. As head coach Andrew Rich said, they had a monkey on their collective back.
But they pounded that monkey into submission, just like everything else that stood in their way. After beating the Montana Grizz 10-1, in a six-inning run-rule game, they beat the Sacramento State Hornets twice, by run-rule both times — 15-7 in six innings and 16-8 in five innings.
As Rich said after his team earned a third-straight run-rule for its first series sweep all season and the program’s first-ever conference tournament title: “We overwhelmed people all week.”
The Bengals had six players named to the Big Sky Conference All-Tournament Team — Kira Day, Marley Goluskin, Jaden Moore, Camryn McDonald, Jenna Kearns and Tournament MVP Ava Brown.
Kearns, a Pocatello native and Highland High School product, believes that her team’s recent run of success, capped by its back-to-back conference regular-season titles and this conference tournament championship, has announced ISU softball as a legit power, putting the team, school and city on the map.
The Bengals, Rich said, will celebrate their achievement until the NCAA Tournament regional brackets are announced Sunday, and the team learns where it will play next weekend. Then, the team will shift its focus to the work still to be done.
Here are some of our favorite photos from this week’s tournament, hosted by Idaho State and the Bengals.
ISU’s Ava Brown (2) arrives at home plate after belting a home run during the Bengals’ opening-round victory over Montana on Monday. Brown collected five hits, including two homers, and drove in eight runs, six in the championship game, in ISU’s three tournament wins. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
ISU’s Kira Day (00) does the “night night” celebration as she arrives at home after hitting a run-rule walk-off home run in the Bengals’ round-two victory over Sacramento State on Tuesday. The redshirt freshman homered three times and drove in six runs during the tournament. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
ISU senior Kasey Aguinaga pitches in relief of Conference Pitcher of the Year Marley Goluskin in the Bengals’ second-round victory over the Hornets. Aguinaga also started the championship game, earning the decision in both games. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
ISU senior Camryn McDonald gestures to her teammates from first base during the Bengals’ round-two win. McDonald hit two homers, both on Tuesday, scored eight runs and drove in seven in the three games. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
ISU fans hold signs and look on from the hill beyond the outfield fence. ISU head coach Andrew Rich spoke highly about the fan and community support his team receives during all home games, but said that support increased dramatically during the tournament. Pitcher Marley Goluskin said her team fed off the energy from the crowd, which included a packed berm for all three games, throughout the week. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
Some of the many ISU supporters in attendance to cheer on the Bengals and hometown girl Jenna Kearns. Kearns was named to the Big Sky Conference All-Tournament Team and has been an All-Conference selection each of the last two seasons. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
ISU junior catcher Jenna Kearns connects on a second-inning home run during the Bengals’ championship game victory over Sacramento State. In three games, Kearns went 4-for-11 (.364) with a homer, three runs scored and five RBIs. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
Jenna Kearns rushes the pitching circle and pitcher Marley Goluskin after receiving strike three for the final out of the tournament, securing ISU’s conference tournament championship. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
The Big Sky Conference Tournament Championship trophy featuring, for the first time, an Idaho State University nameplate. | Kyle Riley, EastIdahoSports.com
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