Bengal bats erupt in Big Sky Softball Championship opener

POCATELLO — By winning last season’s Big Sky Conference regular-season title, the Idaho State Bengals earned the right to host this year’s Big Sky Softball Championship.

By winning this year’s regular-season crown, the Bengals also earned the tournament’s top seed. They faced No. 4-seeded Montana, who beat No. 5 Weber State Monday morning to earn a spot in the game.

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The Grizz, who took one of three from Idaho State in a season finale series last weekend, were up to the challenge of taking on the top seed early, heading into the bottom of the fourth tied 1-1. But that was when the Bengal bats woke up in an eventual 10-1 win.

Junior second baseman Belle Navarrete tallied her second RBI of the day out of the nine-hole, with an infield single. Junior All-Conference shortstop Camryn McDonald made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly, then 2025 Conference Player of the Year senior Ava Brown made it a big inning with a long two-run homer to center field.

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Junior Marley Goluskin, who last week was named the Big Sky Pitcher of the Year, proved unsolvable for the Grizz. Goluskin, who tossed complete game victories in both games of the Bengals’ doubleheader sweep in Montana last weekend, held the visitors to a single run, scattering six hits and a walk while striking out three in 6 innings, to earn her 12th win of the season.

She was credited with another complete game Monday, though she never needed to take the circle in the seventh to do so.

ISU’s powder-keg offense went off again in the sixth, securing a mercy-rule win on a three-run homer from freshman Kira Day.

Before the big fly, McDonald added another RBI to her season total, scoring Navarrete with a double. Junior All-Conference catcher and Highland High School alum knocked in her first run of the tournament with a single to set the stage for the Day walkoff.

With their win, the Bengals locked up a spot in Tuesday’s afternoon game, when they will face No. 3 Sacramento State. The Hornets beat No. 2 Northern Colorado 6-5 Monday for their spot in the game. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Direct Communications Field at Miller Ranch Stadium.

The winner of Tuesday’s Bengal-Hornet showdown will advance into Thursday’s championship round, set for a noon first pitch. The loser will play Wednesday at 2:30 p.m.