After scoring 29 runs in a doubleheader sweep of North Dakota Friday, Idaho State head softball coach Julie Wright wanted to make sure she told her team how important Saturday’s series finale was.

    “I told the team in pregame this is the biggest game of our season,” she said. “A team like this is scary. In the two conference series that North Dakota has played they have lost the first two and won the third.”

    North Dakota did get on the board first in the second inning with an unearned run, but ISU manufactured runs in the fourth before the long ball took over in the final two as the Bengals earned an 11-2, six-inning win at Miller Ranch Stadium.

    For three innings, North Dakota’s Caralyn Chewning and ISU’s Bailey Foster were locked in a pitchers duel.

    Foster allowed just one hit through three innings while Chewning allowed four hits and a walk.

    But all those Bengal base runners were left stranded, that was until ISU employed some small-ball to kick start the offense.

    Most of this season, the Bengals have used home runs to defeat opponents. On Saturday, station to station softball did the trick.

    “I feel like that is what championship teams do and that is the path we are on,” Wright said. “I was just really pleased with the execution today.”

    Maddy Hickman led off the fourth inning by beating out a throw to first after UND shortstop Cami Bennett misplayed the ball.

    Pinch runner Michalea Barr moved to second on a single by Hailey Breakwell.

    Both runners came around to score on an RBI triple from Katelyn Marquez.

    Katee Wiley drove home Marquez with a fielder’s choice to give the Bengals a 5-1 lead after four innings.

    After pounding out nine home runs Friday, it took five innings Saturday for the Bengals to hit their first.

    Terah Blackwell singled to start the inning, Hickman followed and took the first pitch she saw from Chewning and put it over the left center field fence for a two-run home run.

    North Dakota tacked on another run in the sixth, but ISU loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half of the inning. Breakwell sent every one home happy when she crushed a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for a grand slam that ended the game.

    “I was just trying to get a base hit,” Breakwell said. “I was looking inside on the first two pitches and they were both balls. She came inside again and I put a good swing on it.”

    Breakwell hit two of the Bengals’ 11 home runs in the series and drove in a team-high seven RBI.

    As a team, ISU hit .529 in the series, recorded 45 hits and drove in 40 runs.

    “Our goal when we started the season was to make the Big Sky Tournament,” Wright said. “We are a team that was picked to finish last. We wanted to finish in the top four and that is all we talked about. After we took two of three from Portland State I put a note in each of the kids’ lockers and the note said, ‘Forget the tournament. You can win the whole damn thing.’”

    If the Bengals’ pitching continues to play the way they did against North Dakota, a conference title is within reach.

    Foster earned the victory, pitching five innings and allowing two hits.

    On the weekend, the Bengals allowed nine hits and four runs, none of which were earned.

    “They were awesome,” Wright said of the pitching staff. “For them to start rolling the way there are with a huge conference series with Sacramento State and a big game on Wednesday with Utah Valley, I am so pleased with them. All of our starters are doing a tremendous job.”

    Prior to Saturday’s game, ISU honored its three seniors — Amanda Fitzsimmons, Becky Molyneaux and Christina Rayner. Each was showered with gifts and kind words from Wright.

    “I have been doing this a long time and Fitzsimmons and Becky are good people, number one, and strong confident women,” Wright said. “Everything we teach in our program, they are. They are great leaders and phenomenal teammates. I hate to lose them. They are irreplaceable.”

    ISU (26-19, 12-3 Big Sky) still sits atop the conference standings as second place Portland State earned a walk-off win over Sacramento State Saturday afternoon.

    The Bengals close out the home schedule Wednesday against Utah Valley. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Miller Ranch Stadium.