The Idaho State Bengals women’s softball team lost the final game of their three-game series against San Diego 5-3 on March 14 at Reggie Smith Softball Complex, but secured the overall series victory two games to one. Alyssa Yee led the Bengals offensively in the finale, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two runs batted in.
The outcome matters for Idaho State as it brings their season record to 18-11 and demonstrates their ability to perform strongly in multi-game matchups. The Bengals swept Friday’s doubleheader before dropping Saturday’s contest.
In Saturday’s game, Idaho State started aggressively, putting runners on base early but failing to score in the first inning. San Diego took an early lead with a solo home run in the second inning, a call that was confirmed after video review. The Bengals responded by tying the game in the third inning when Kennedy Dudley scored on a single from Yee. Idaho State then took a 3-1 lead in the fourth inning after Belle Navarrete hit a two-run double and Yee followed with another double to drive in Navarrete.
San Diego regained control with four runs in the bottom of the fourth, including a three-run home run that put them ahead for good. Riley Wickum entered as relief pitcher for Idaho State and delivered 2.2 scoreless innings, retiring all eight batters she faced except for one hit batter.
Despite putting runners on base late in the game, Idaho State could not mount a comeback against San Diego’s relief pitching. Offensively, Yee stood out with her three hits and two RBI, while Navarrete contributed an RBI double.
Across the series, Idaho State outscored San Diego 9-7 and held them to a .203 batting average. Pitchers Kasey Aguinaga and Marley Goluskin each threw complete games during Friday’s wins; Aguinaga pitched a shutout with eight strikeouts while Goluskin allowed just two runs over seven innings. Sydney Groves led all hitters with five hits and three RBI across three games, including a home run. Other notable performances included Belle Navarrete hitting .429 with two RBI and Olivia Robison going 2-for-5 off the bench.
