@BearsSoftball Upsets Bengals in the Morning

Thursday, May 9

Sacramento, Calif.

10AM

University of Northern Colorado

13-37

Idaho State

20-27

Northern Colorado

Idaho State

5/9/2019 8:52:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Northern Colorado dropped its evening game against No. 1 Weber State

By: Matthew Kushar, UNCBears.com

SACRAMENTO, Calif.- Northern Colorado softball picked up where they left off upsetting the No. 2 seed, Idaho State, 2-1, on Thursday morning. With the win, UNC advanced to face the regular season champions, Weber State for the second game of the day. The Bears fell to the top seed Wildcats, 10-4, on Thursday evening.

"We had a great team effort in the first two games," head coach Ben Garcia said. "Val was awesome, but defensive miscues cost us the third game."

Conclusion-Bears vs. Bengals
The game between UNC and Idaho St. was suspended on Wednesday due to darkness. Cheyenne Talmadge and Mady Young were on base with two outs in the top of the ninth. The Bears could not get a hit to break the tie against the Bengals new pitcher Kelsea Sweeney. Autumn Pease was Idaho St. original pitcher went 8.2 innings, with one earned run.

Valerie Vidal returned to the mound after pitching 8.2 innings already in the game. Bengals had two runners on in the bottom of the ninth, but Vidal stranded them on base.

Both Vidal and Pease rolled through the 10^th and 11^th innings, with only one base runner allowed combined.

Talmadge put UNC in good position with a lead-off the top of the 12^th inning. After a sac bunt and another Bears out, Dani Young came up with the clutch single to score Talmadge. UNC was now out in front 2-1.

Vidal turned in a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the 12^th to secure the Bears second upset of the weekend. Between the two days, Vidal pitched all 12 innings with one earned run, striking out seven and walking three.

Bears vs. Wildcats
After a gutsy, two-day pitching performance, Valerie Vidal returned to the circle. No. 1 seeded, Weber St., had Tatiana Su'esu opposing her.

The Wildcats jumped in front quickly in the top of the first, scoring three runs on five hits.

UNC would get on the scoreboard in the bottom of second, after Alyssa Huerta walked and Kenzie Kudrna singled. Cheyenne Talmadge would ground out to second, but Huerta was able to score and the Bears trailed 3-1.

In the next half inning, Weber St. scored two runs on two hits to extend their lead to 5-1.

The Bears cut into the Wildcats lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Natalie Joyner led the inning off with a single. A sac bunt would move Joyner to second and a ground out would move her to third. Kudrna used her speed to get an infield single and Joyner crossed home plate. UNC was down 5-2.

Weber St. continued to deliver strong hitting, scoring two runs on two hits in the top of the sixth for a 7-2 advantage over UNC. Vidal was lifted in the inning and replaced by Maggie Thurston.

It did not take long for the Bears to respond, however, striking for two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Mady Young provided the key hit, singling to left field to score Huerta and Kudrna to score. UNC pulled within three at 7-4.

Now in the top of the seventh, the Wildcats unloaded for three runs on six hits to separate from the Bears.

UNC could not mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, losing to the top-seed Wildcats, 10-4. Vidal suffered the loss, allowing seven earned runs in 5.2 innings.

Game Notes

The 12-inning game that Northern Colorado played against Idaho St. is the team's longest since returning to the Division I ranks in 1999. It's the longest game since the Bears played 15 innings in 1980.
Valerie Vidal has pitched 24.2 innings, with two complete games and one shutout in the Big Sky Tournament. Vidal has a 2.92 ERA with 13 strikeouts and six walks.
Mady Young has been the UNC's best hitter in the postseason to this point, going four-for-10, with two RBIs and one run scored.
Kenzie Kudrna has also been effective, going for three-for-eight, scoring one run and one RBI. Kudrna has also swiped two bases in two attempts.
UNC has recorded six sacrifice hits this season, with Young leading with the team with two.

Still Alive
Northern Colorado will face the winner of the Montana and Sacramento State elimination game tomorrow. The Grizzlies and Hornets play at 2:30 pm MST and the winner with play UNC at 5 pm in another elimination game.