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WAC Tournament On Tap This Weekend For USU Softball
May 8, 2007
LOGAN, Utah -
Complete Utah State Softball Notes For WAC Tournament in PDF Format
Utah State (17-34, 5-13 WAC) at WAC Tournament
This Weekend's Utah State Schedule - All Times MT
QUICKLY - Sixth-seeded Utah State (17-34, 5-13 WAC) enters its first-ever Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament, Wednesday-Saturday, May 9-12, at Fresno, Calif., at Bulldog Diamond on the campus of Fresno State. The sixth-seeded Aggies take on seventh-seeded Louisiana Tech (21-36, 3-15 WAC), in Wednesday's first-round, taking the diamond in the first game of the tournament at 4 p.m. (MT). GAMETRACKER - Fans can follow all of the WAC Tournament games via GameTracker, a free service, which updates play-by-play and statistics duringthe game,through the USU website at www.UtahStateAggies.com, or through host Fresno State's website at www.gobulldogs.com. USU TOURNAMENT HISTORY - USU, only in its second season in the WAC, is making its first conference tournament appearance since the High Country Athletic Conference (HCAC) Tournament in 1990. Prior to the WAC, USU was in the Big West Conference, who did not conduct a postseason tournament. This is the Aggies' first postseason appearance since 1993, when USU won the Big West regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. SWIPING QUEENS - Utah State enters the WAC Tournament leading the league in stolen bases in all games (62-83) and WAC only games (18-24). Individually, junior SS Tara Evans is tied for fourth (13-15) in all games and second in WAC only games (6-6). NO STEAL FOR YOU - USU also leads the WAC in league only games by throwing out eight runners attempting to steal (18-26), and is second in overall games with 20 attempts thwarted (50-70). STREAKS - The April 27 home loss to then-#14 Hawai'i snapped USU's six-game home winning streak... prior to getting swept by the Rainbow Wahine, the Aggies had won five of their last seven WAC games, but lost their last six league games in a row, getting swept by both Hawai'i and New Mexico State. USU's win at San Jose State on April 21 snapped USU's five-game road losing streak... the Aggies are now 5-16 on the road after the three losses at NMSU. Utah State is currently on a seven-game losing skid, the Aggies longest of the year. USU's longest win streak of the season is four games (April 7-April 14) and the longest string of wins since April 30-May 8, 2005, when the Aggies also won four in a row. BETTER THAN BEFORE - USU is 17-34 on the season, topping last season's win total (8-38), when the Aggies upset then #15 Oregon State, 2-0, on March 17 at Corvallis, Ore., the Beavers' first shutout loss at home to an unranked team since April 29, 2005. The Aggies' 17 wins reaches double-digits in the win column for the first time in three years, and doubling last season's 8-38 record. The 17-34 ledger is just behind the 2000 squad (18-33) and the 2005 squad (23-28) for best record through 45 games of the 2000's. The win over Nevada on April 7 was USU's first conference win in its sixth league game, compared to the first WAC win coming in last year's 12th league game. USU's sweep over La Tech on April 13-14 gives the Aggies, who are in their second season in the Western Athletic Conference, their first WAC series sweep. The brooming is also the first conference series sweep since April 3-4, 2004, when USU took three from Cal State Fullerton. WAC STANDINGS - After one-time occupying last place in the conference standings in the seventh spot, Utah State vaulted as high as third in the standings. USU ended the regular season sixth, after being picked seventh in the conference preseason poll. SEASON/ALL-TIME SERIES HISTORY vs WAC TOURNAMENT FIELD -
7-La Tech 3-0 - W 7-6(9), W 12-4 (5), W 6-5 4-4 W 3 / snapped 4-gm L skid 1-Hawai'i 0-3 - L 11-3, L 11-0 (6), L 14-2 (5) 16-23 L 4 / L 12 of last 20 2-Fresno State 0-3 - L 8-0 (5), L 8-0 (5), L 7-2 10-17 L 5 / L 7 straight at Fresno 3-New Mexico St. 0-3 - L 5-0, L 3-1, L 2-1 (9) 44-32 L 4 / USU's oldest WAC series 4-Nevada 1-2 - L 9-0 (5), L 6-2, W 7-5 12-13 W 1 / snapped 13-gm L skid 5-San Jose State 1-2 - L 3-1, L, 5-0, W, 2-0 (8) 21-19 W 1 / snapped 5-gm L skid
ABOUT UTAH STATE - The Aggies own a 17-34 ledger, after going 5-13 through WAC play, losing their last six league games in a row. In the final weekend of the season, USU lost to New Mexico State at Las Cruces, 5-0 on Friday, getting no-hit by NMSU's Kim Watson. On Saturday, the navy-clad Aggies lost 3-1 and 2-1 (9 inn) to the maroon-clad Aggies.
USU leads the WAC in stolen bases, but getting on base is a bit of a struggle, as the Aggies are fifth in average (.255) and third in hits (324). Defensively, USU is seventh in ERA (4.97), ringing up 229 strikeouts, which ranks sixth in the conference. The Aggies are also fifth in fielding percentage (.948), having committed the third-most errors (74). SEASON 32 - The 2007 season marks the 32nd year of softball at Utah State... the Aggies enter the season with a 741-768-3 (.491) overall record... USU has one college World Series appearance (1984, tied for 7th) and four NCAA Tournament appearances (1984, 1989, 1992, 1993)... Utah State won the 1980 and 1981 AIAW National Championships... this is USU's second year in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). TIDBITS ABOUT UTAH STATE - - LEAGUE LEADING SWIPERS - Utah State leads the WAC in stolen bases (62-83) in all games and lead the league in WAC only games (18-24). - After hitting .414 against La Tech, USU has climbed from seventh to fifth in the WAC statistics in overall team batting (.255), and vaulted from seventh to third, and is now in fifth in WAC only games (.220). - Defensively, USU is seventh in team pitching, with a 4.97 team ERA... The Aggie pitching staff is sixth in strikeouts (229) and fifth in fewest walks issued (152). - USU's pitching staff has topped last season's strikeout total, currently with 229 K's... last year USU pitchers logged 142 strikeouts... This season's total is the most since the 2002 pitching staff fired 255 K's. - The Aggies have belted 33 HR's this season, not only topping last year's total of 18 HR's, but setting a new school record, surpassing the previous record of 32 by the 2005 USU squad. - Junior 3B Amy Schaible leads the team with 11 HR's, setting a new USU single-season HR school record, topping the previous record of 10, done three times by two different players: Sara Fleming (2005) and Sandy Taylor (1999 and 2000). - Schaible leads USU with 11 HR, while senior DP/1B Jamie Fife has six, junior SS Tara Evans has five and senior CF Ashley Bellum and sophomore 1B Aubrie Stroman have three apiece. - Fife leads the team with 27 RBI, needing two more to crack into USU's top 10 single season list, while Schaible is second with 26, both topping last year's season leader Quela Leonhardt's RBI total of 17, and over halfway to the single-season school record of 41 RBI by Sandy Taylor in 2000. - Schaible now has 14 career home runs, currently in sole possession of fourth on USU's career HR list, needing four to tie Jennifer Power (1991-94) and Breanne Smith (1999-2002) at the No. 3 spot on the USU career HR list with 18. - USU has also topped last season's stolen base total, nearly matching last season's total of 13 stolen bases with 12 swipes in the six games in Colorado March 1-4... On the year, the Aggies now have 62 stolen bases in 83 attempts... That total is closing in on the school record of 67 from the 1981 national-championship season in 46 games. - The 62 stolen bases are the most since the 1991 squad swiped 66... USU currently averages 1.22 stolen bases per game, in order to break the school record they will have to average over 2.0 stolen bases per game. - Junior SS Tara Evans leads USU and ranks fourth in the WAC in stolen bases (13-15), getting thrown out for the first time this season on April 17 at UVSC... Evans is second in WAC only games with six stolen bases, while Schaible is sixth with three... The 13 swipes rank Evans tied for fifth on the single-season stolen base list. - After one time holding three of the top 10 batting spots in the conference statistics, USU now has one player in the top 15, senior 1B/OF Jamie Fife's team-leading .339 average is 14th. - Fife leads USU and ranks ninth in the conference in RBI with 27. - Schaible has her average back above .300 (.303), after it had slipped below .300 for the first time this season two weeks ago, and ranks tied for fifth in the league with home runs (11)... Schaible leads USU in hits (46), runs scored (29), total bases (84) and at bats (152). - Schaible is the only player to start all 51 games, while Schaible and Evans are the only two players to play in all 51 games. - Sophomore P Lindsey Benson is 11th in the WAC in ERA (3.42) and tied for sixth in strikeouts (126)... Benson's 22 strikeouts in three appearances March 1-4 nearly matched her season total of 25 K's last year in 15 appearances... Benson has established career-high and double-digit strikeout highs twice this season, firing 10 against Colorado State on March 4, and then topping it on April 3 with 11 against Utah Valley State. - Benson's 126 strikeouts are the most for a USU pitcher since Kristin Hommel's 135 K's in 2002, and moves her into ninth on USU's single-season strikeout list, needing five more to pass DeAnna Earsley (1993) and Kristie Skoglund (1985) at No. 7 with 130 K's each. - Benson logged her 100th career strikeout against La Tech on April 13, and now has 146 K's, needing 18 more to tie Julie Starratt (1986-89) for 10th on the USU career strikeout list. - Saturday's shutout at SJSU on April 21 was Benson's first of her Aggie career, and she followed that up with a 5-0 shutout of Idaho State on Tuesday, to become USU's second pitcher with a shutout this season, after Perry fired a 2-0 shutout in the Aggies' upset of then-15th-ranked Oregon State on March 17. - Benson becomes the first USU pitcher since Kristin Hommel in 2000 to fire consecutive shutouts. - Senior P Lexy Perry ranks second on the team and 13th in the league in ERA (5.15) and has one of the Aggies' three shutouts on the season, with a 2-0 blanking of then-#15 Oregon State on March 18, USU's first shutout win since April 16, 2005... with 30 K's this season in 16 appearances, Perry has nearly quadrupled last year's season total of just eight strikeouts in nine appearances. - Freshman P Stacey Ellingsworth is 15th in the league in ERA (5.65) and is second on the team in strikeouts (48). - Senior P Jill Bruins fired a career-high six strikeouts in USU 1-0 loss at Utah on April 25, pitching a no-hitter through five innings... Bruins entered the game with nine K's on the season in her previous 10 appearances. - Fife had her career and USU season-long 10 game hitting streak snapped on April 24... No USU player has an active multi-game hit streak after the Aggies were no-hit on Friday... Schaible had a nine game streak end, while Evans had an eight game streak halted at SJSU... Schaible had a season-opening eight-game hitting streak... Junior C Heather Haak and Stroman each had a five-game hitting streak earlier in the season as well. - Schaible and Evans leads the team with 11 multi-hit games each, while Fife has nine and Stroman and freshman OF Emily Reilly have six apiece... Fife and Evans lead the team with four hits in a game. - Fife leads the team for multi-RBI games with nine, followed by Schaible with eight and Evans with seven... senior OF Ashley Bellum leads the team with five RBI in USU's 12-4 win over Northern Colorado on March 3, blasting a grand slam, while Stroman and Reilly each have four-RBI outings. - Fife leads the team in both average with runners in scoring position (.450, 18-40) and runners on (.407, 22-54), as well as in average with two outs (.391, 18-46). - Freshman OF Emily Reilly is second on USU in average with two outs (.389, 14-36), highlighted by her two-run home run in the top of the seventh against Portland State on Feb. 17... Reilly also is second in both average with runners in scoring position (.429, 12-28) and runners on (.366, 15-41).
SCHAIBLE TABBED USU ATHLETE OF WEEK (April 16) - Softball player Amy Schaible was named Utah State's Athlete of the Week, announced April 16. The weekly award is voted on by a state media panel.
This is Schaible's first USU Athlete of the Week Award this season and she is the third Aggie softball player to receive the honor this year, joining Lindsey Benson (March 5) and Lexy Perry (March 19). For Schaible, this is the second time in her career that she garnered USU's weekly accolades, after receiving the honor last season (May 1).
Schaible, a junior 3B from Red Bluff, Calif. (Red Bluff Union HS), hit .455 (5-11) during the weekend, with four RBI and one home run in Utah State's three-game sweep of Louisiana Tech, marking USU's first-ever Western Athletic Conference series sweep.
Schaible started the series by going 1-3 on Friday, and followed that up with a 4-8 effort Saturday, including going 3-4 with three RBI in Utah State's 12-4 (5) win against Louisiana Tech, including belting a walk-off homer in the fifth, to put USU ahead by eight and end the game. The HR was Schaible's team-leading eighth home run of season and she moves up to tie for No. 3 on the USU single-season HR list, needing just three more for the school record. She also is now tied for No. 6 on the Aggie career HR list with her 11th long fly, tying Kelly Smith (1984-86, `88).
Schaible extended her active hitting streak to seven games. That is her second-longest streak of the season behind her eight-game tear to in USU's opening eight games of the year.
On the year, Schaible has her average back above .300 (.321), after it had slipped below .300 for the first time this season last week, and ranks tied for sixth in the league with home runs (8). Schaible leads USU in hits (35), total bases (63), runs scored (24) and at bats (109).
PERRY PITCHES WAY TO USU ATHLETE OF THE WEEK AWARD (March 20) - Softball pitcher Lexy Perry has earned the Utah State Athlete of the Week award it was announced on March 20. The honor is voted on by a state media panel each week.
Perry became the second softball player to earn the honor in the last three weeks joining fellow pitcher Lindsey Bennion, who was selected the school's top athlete on March 5.
Perry recorded her first career shutout and USU's first shutout win since April 16, 2005, with the Aggies' 2-0 upset win at #15 Oregon State Saturday. The Aggies dealt the Beavers, who were in the Women's College World Series last year, their first shutout loss at home to an unranked team since April 29, 2005.
Perry, a senior from Vancouver, Wash., yielded only five hits while pitching the entire seven innings. She walked four and struck out one in improving her individual record to 2-2 on the season. She owns a 3.60 ERA in eight appearances on the year.
BENSON NAMED USU ATHLETE OF WEEK (March 5) - Lindsey Benson was named the Utah State Athlete of the Week for the period ending March 4. The weekly award is voted on by a state media panel.
Benson, a sophomore pitcher went 2-0 in three appearances, and logged a career-high 10 strikeouts in USU's 3-2 win over Colorado State on March 4, as her career-high topped Benson's three-day old previous career-high of nine K's in USU's 6-5 win at Northern Colorado on March 1.
She had at least one strikeout in each inning in the March 4 game, ringing up two in the third, fifth and sixth innings. Her 22 strikeouts in three appearances this week nearly matched her season total of 25 K's last year in 15 appearances.
REILLY TABBED WAC SOFTBALL HITTER OF THE WEEK (March 5) - Freshman outfielder Emily Reilly was named the Western Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week, announced March 5 by the conference office.
Reilly, a freshman from Portland, Ore. (Central Catholic) posted a .462 average for the week, going 6-for-13 with a double, triple and a home run, as well as three RBI. She had a .923 slugging percentage and a .462 on-base percentage in four games during the week. The outfielder went 2-for-4 with a triple in Utah State's 5-4 win over Northern Colorado on March 1. She was also 3-for-4 with a double two RBI and two runs scored in the Aggies' 12-4 win over the Bears on March 3. Reilly is the first Utah State player to earn hitter of the week honors from the WAC and just the second overall. Last season, Heather Straight earned pitcher of the week honors for the week of May 1. Reilly's honor is the first conference hitter of the week award since Sara Fleming was named the Big West Player of the Week on April 25, 2005.
LETTS' BITS - Head coach Candi Letts is in her first year at the helm of the Aggies, but has 12 years of experience as a Division I head coach. - Letts came to USU from Northern Illinois, where she was an assistant for one season... Prior to NIU, Letts was the head coach at the University of Mississippi, where she spent seven seasons guiding the Ole Miss program from 1999-2005, compiling a 153-246 (.372) record, including leading the Rebels to a school-record 30 wins in 2005. - Before Ole Miss, Letts was head coach at Colorado State University from 1994-98, amassing a 160-106-1 (.602) record in her five seasons there, as she re-established the softball program after it had been eliminated for one season. The .602 winning percentage is the highest in school history. In 1997, Letts led the Rams to a 51-14 mark, winning the Western Athletic Conference championship and finishing ninth in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) final poll. That season Letts was named the WAC Coach of the Year, as well as the NCAA West Regional Coach of the Year. - Letts has a career head coaching mark of 330-386-1 (.461) in 717 career games spanning 13 seasons, reaching the 200 and 300 win milestones while at Ole Miss... Letts coached her 700th career game in Saturday's second game. - This is Letts' second go-round in the WAC, as she posted a 79-62 (.560) mark in WAC games while at Colorado State. - As a head coach, Letts has coached four All-Americans, seven all-region players, 12 all-conference winners, one conference player of the year, and one freshman of the year. - As a pitcher at Creighton University from 1979-1983, Letts helped the Bluejays to three-straight trips to the College World Series. In her career in the circle, Letts compiled 43 wins to go with 16 saves, while logging an ERA of 0.76 and firing 276 strikeouts. In the 1982 season, Letts led the country with nine saves, a mark that still ranks as the fifth-most single-season saves in NCAA history. - After graduating from Creighton in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, Letts began her coaching career at the high school ranks, including head coach at Burlington, Iowa, for five seasons. Letts moved up to the college level in 1988, returning to Creighton, where she served as an assistant for six years, helping the Bluejays to two NCAA Regional trips, as well as making three appearances in the Top 25 poll and coaching one All-American. In 1991, Letts and Creighton played Utah in the longest game in NCAA history, a 31-inning contest. LETTS ERA OPENS WITH WIN - First-year Candi Letts won her first game at the helm of the Aggies with the 11-2 win over Southern Utah on Feb. 9. Letts becomes the first USU head coach to win their opener since Pam McCreesh won her first game in 1998. ABOUT WAC TOURNAMENT FIELD -
7-LOUISIANA TECH - The Lady Techsters ended the regular-season with a 21-36 overall and 3-15 WAC record. La Tech has lost three in a row, 14 of its last 15 and 22 of its last 27 games.
OF Emma Barnes leads LTU and ranks 11th in the WAC with a .348 average. Barnes also leads the league in stolen bases (21-23) and is fifth with 63 hits.
2B Rochelle Sandberg has a LTU-leading 26 RBI, while OF Ashley Cameron has a team-high eight HR.
In the circle, Krissi Oliver has a 3.20 ERA which ranks eighth in the conference and has a 16-25. Oliver is fifth in the league with 130 strikeouts, and has four shutouts.
1-HAWAI'I - No. 13 UH won the regular-season WAC title after posting a 45-9 overall and 16-2 WAC ledger. The Rainbow Wahine ended the year with four-straight wins and won 21 of their last 23 games.
1B Tyleen Tausaga leads UH and the WAC with a .408 average and is second in the league with both 15 HR's and 50 RBI. 3B Clare Warwick is second on both the team and in the league with a .389 average and is tied for the conference lead with 72 hits.
P/UT Kate Robinson has belted a WAC-leading and UH single-season record 18 HR's, as well as tallying a conference-best 64 RBI and is seventh in the league with a .365 average. In the circle, Robinson has posted a 15-0 record and is second in the WAC with a 1.56 ERA with 91 strikeouts, while allowing a league-low 26 earned runs.
2-FRESNO STATE - The Bulldogs won their last six games of the season, taking the longest active winning streak in the league into the tournament. Fresno State has posted a 42-16 overall and 15-3 WAC record.
IF Haley Perkins is fourth in the league with a .375 average and is tied for the conference lead in hits (72), as well as a WAC-leading 58 runs scored and sixth in the league with 12 stolen bases.
Juniors Kristin Sylvester (C/IF) and Jenna Cervantez (IF) each have .367 averages, ranking tied for fifth in the league in average. Sylvester is fourth in the conference with 47 RBI while Cervantez is tied for second in runs scored (50), fourth in hits (65) and tied for fifth in HR's (11).
Sophomore pitcher Robin Mackin, has a WAC-best 1.37 ERA and also leads the league in strikeouts with 327. Mackin also has thrown a league-leading 265.0 innings, but has a conference-high 100 walks. She also has the most wins in the WAC (31-9) and has made the most appearances in the conference (48).
3-NEW MEXICO STATE - The maroon-clad Aggies are 30-25 overall after ending WAC play with a 9-9 mark. 6-9 in WAC play. NMSU has won six in a row and eight of the last 10, after beating Western New Mexico, 10-0 (5 inn) and 4-0, on Tuesday, and then sweeping USU in a three-game weekend series. Kim Watson fired a no-hitter in Friday's 5-0 contest, while NMSU won Saturday's twinbill, 3-1 and 2-1 (9 inn).
Junior IF Stephanie Herrera leads NMSU and ranks third in the WAC, hitting .379 and second in the conference in stolen bases (18-24). Herrera is third in the league with 67 hits.
Ashley Roszkos, a junior C, leads NMSU and ranks fifth in the WAC with 43 RBI, and ranks eighth in the conference with a .359 average. Roszkos also is seventh in the league with 10 HR's, and is second the WAC with 17 doubles.
Watson, a sophomore right-handed pitcher, is sixth in the league with a 2.82 ERA with a 18-14 record, ranking second in the conference in wins. Watson's 197 strikeouts are second in the WAC while her 203.1 innings worked is third. However, Watson has allowed the second-most runs and earned runs in the league (110 and 82, respectively).
4-NEVADA - The Wolf Pack enter the tournament with a 25-29 overall ledger, going 9-9 in WAC action. Nevada ended the year with four wins in a row and seven of last 10, going 17-5 in its last 22 games.
Junior OF/1B Tyler Schafer leads Nevada and ranks 10th in the league with a .351 average. Brittany Puzey, a junior OF/1B, leads the WAC with 18 doubles, ranks third with 12 HR's and third with 49 RBI, as well as posting a .331 average.
On the mound, junior Jordan McPherson is fifth in the WAC with a 2.79 ERA and tied for sixth with 126 strikeouts, posting a 15-14 record in 178 innings.
5-SAN JOSE STATE - SJSU brings a 21-26 overall record into the tournament, posting a 6-12 WAC mark. The Spartans lost their last four league games and their last five overall.
Junior OF Elizabeth Perez leads SJSU with a .354 average, ranking ninth in the league, as well as third in stolen bases (16-19).
Brittany McConnell, a sophomore C, has posted team-highs of 33 RBI and seven HR's.
Junior Roxanne Bejarano is fourth in the conference with both a 2.51 ERA and 143 strikeouts. Bejarano has a 14-15 record in 178.2 innings.
LAST TIME OUT - LAS CRUCES, N.M. - A bases-loaded infield single in the bottom of the ninth gave New Mexico State a 2-1 nine-inning win over Utah State in the second game of Saturday's Western Athletic Conference softball doubleheader. The win completed NMSU's sweep of both the twinbill and the three-game series, after winning Saturday's first game 3-1.
USU lost Friday's game, 5-0, being no-hit by NMSU's Kim Watson.
The two losses move the northern Aggies to 17-34 overall and 5-13 in WAC play, as USU has lost seven straight overall. The navy-clad Aggies finish the regular-season in sixth-place in the WAC standings and will be the sixth seed for the WAC Tournament which opens Wednesday at Fresno, Calif. USU will face seventh-seed Louisiana Tech in Wednesday's first round,
NMSU won its sixth game in a row and eight of the last 10 in improving to 30-25 overall and 9-9 in WAC play.The maroon-clad Aggies locked up third-place in the WAC standings and will be the third-seed for the conference tournament, taking on fourth-seed Nevada.
Saturday's two losses move USU to 1-8 in WAC games on the road.
The northern Aggies lost to the southern Aggies for the 15th time in last 16 times at Las Cruces and are 16-21 overall at NMSU. However, the navy-clad Aggies still hold a 44-32 all-time lead over their maroon brethren.
Game One Recap
After getting no-hit in Friday's 5-0 loss, USU appeared to have snapped the quiet bat streak as sophomore 1B Aubrie Stroman had a slicing liner down the left field line that NMSU LF Kristi Randall made a diving catch.
NMSU plated a run in the home half of the second, as Ashley Frisby led off with a double, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a groundout.
USU broke its hitless slump with a single up the middle by junior DP Whitnie Ray.
In the fifth, the maroon-clad Aggies again led off with a double, followed by a USU error, two stolen bases and a groundout.
The northern Aggies mounted a rally in the seventh, as Stroman led off with a walk. Junior C Heather Haak then smashed a double to the gap in right center and Stroman ran all the way around and scored USU's lone run and chasing NMSU starting pitcher Sammie Dillard. Reliever Vanessa Fitzgerald came in and thwarted the USU rally with three outs to end the game.
Game Two Recap
The nightcap was a pitcher's dual between USU sophomore Lindsey Benson and NMSU's Kim Watson, who no-hit USU Friday.
NMSU snuck in a walk and a hit in the top of the first to lead to a run, but then Benson held the southern Aggies in tact for the majority of the game.
Freshman 2B Nicole Rupp got USU's first hit of Watson of the weekend to lead off the fourth, beating out a bunt by diving into first.
In the navy-clad Aggies' sixth, senior CF Ashley Bellum led off the frame by getting hit by a pitch. She moved to second on a sac bunt by Ray. After a strikeout, Stroman stroked a double to the gap in right center to score Bellum and knot the score at 1-all.
NMSU's Angie Ortega drew a one out walk in the bottom of the sixth. Kayla Luttmers pinch ran for her and stole second, before moving to third on a groundout.
Benson got out of the jam by getting a groundout.
The top of the seventh saw junior SS Tara Evans lead off with a single to center, chasing Watson and again bringing in Fitzgerald. Two fielder's choice plays and a groundout later, USU had runners on second and third with two out, but the rally stalled with a groundout.
In the bottom of the seventh, NMSU's Tiffany Hanan opened the inning with a bunt that freshman C Simone Hubbard fielded and fired to first, but hit Hanan on her way to first who was running down the line. The umpire ruled that she was in the baseline and called her out.
After a single to left center followed by a sac bunt that went for a hit, NMSU had two on with only one out, but a popup to short was the second out and then a lineout toward junior 3B Amy Schaible that she jumped and snagged to end the inning and send the game to extra frames.
USU went three up and three down in the top of the seventh.
Frisby began the eighth with a single to right and Ortega then bounced a chopper to second that appeared to be a possible doubleplay ball, but Rupp misplayed the bounce and the error moved runners to second and third with no outs.
After a pop-up to Rupp for the first out, Kimbro was intentionally walked to load the bases. Hanan then followed with a line drive bunt back to Benson who threw to Schaible at third to double up the runner at third to dodge a huge bullet.
Senior Jami Uragami, who was making her season debut in left field, began the top of the ninth with an infield single, and Evans followed with a single to center. Schaible laid down a sac bunt to move Uragami and Evans to third and second, respectively, to bring Hubbard to the plate. Ball four went to the backstop and Uragami was thrown out at home trying to score. Haak pinch hit, but grounded out to Fitzgerald to end the inning.
A USU error opened the bottom of the ninth, followed by a single and a sac bunt. With one out, Herrera was intentionally walked to load the bases. After fouling off pitch after pitch, Frisby hit a grounder to deep short, and Evans made the scoop and threw home, but not in time for the game-ending run.
Benson finished with four strikeouts on the day and eight for the weekend, giving her 126 K's on the season and moving up to ninth on USU's single-season strikeout list.
UP NEXT - The WAC Tournament winner receives the league's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. |
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