Softball can’t snap losing streak at home against NMSU
The USU softball squad (5-30, 0-6 WAC) saw their losing streak stretch to 17 over the weekend, getting swept in a three-game home stand against New Mexico State (27-10, 6-0) by counts of 3-1 and 11-6 in a Friday doubleheader, followed by an errorless 5-4 defeat in 10 innings Saturday afternoon.
In the extra inning Saturday, New Mexico State freshman Valerie Swedberg drove a one-out bomb off the left-field fence against Aggie reliever Shelbi Tyteca to drive in senior Ashley Maroda from second, giving the southern Aggies the sweep and extending their perfect record in conference play.
USU’s last victory came during a series that saw senior shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro set the school record for career home runs, a 3-1 victory March 9 at Cal State Bakersfield.
Despite Saturday’s heartbreaker, along with a losing streak that dates back to spring break, hope was an overriding theme for the Aggies following the defeat.
“The positive is that we never gave up,” USU head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba said. “Defensively, we did a great job.”
It’s the other side of the coin that is weighing the Aggies down, said both Kalaba and the hurler who took the loss, but allowed just one run while striking out nine in 6.1 innings of work following short stints for both Mandy Harmon (1 1/3 innings, two runs allowed) and Dani Chapman (2 1/3 innings, two runs allowed).
“One reason why we’re not doing well is probably just how the bats have been bringing out – they’re struggling,” Tyteca said. “But we’re starting to get that part down.”
Kaneshiro was one of the players who struggled, going 1-11 at the plate, along with batting average leader Shasta Tyteca at 1-7, over the weekend homestand. Friday, Tyteca the pitcher held her own, allowing just one earned run on eight hits.
For the first time in the series, the Aggies drew first blood Saturday, scoring three runs in the bottom of the third inning off of NMSU starting pitcher Alex Newman. Junior third baseman Tatem Day opened the inning with a single to right field, followed by an infield single from outfielder Joreigh Landers. Freshman outfielder Krista Bava promptly launched a home run, her second of the season and the team’s fourth of the series, to give USU the early 3-0 lead.
NMSU notched two runs in both the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, pinch hitter Vanessa Valles doubled to right center, preceding an RBI from Kylie Randall, who drove in Kristi Covarrubia to cut the lead to 3-1. Randall then scored on a double from Hoku Nohara. A two-run sixth-inning blast from Swedberg gave the crimson Aggies their first lead of the game at 4-3.
The Aggies bounced back in the bottom of the same inning. Senior shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro walked to lead off the inning, followed by a move to second from pinch runner Brandy Karl following a sacrifice bunt from Tyteca and a groundout from first baseman Ashley Ventura. Junior second baseman Lindsey Marquez responded with a single up the middle to score Karl.
Tyteca admitted that pitching so effectively yet receiving such little offensive support has mounted to some frustration.
“Maybe just a little bit,” she said. “But we know they are working hard to get those bats going. I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.”
That time needs to be soon for the Aggies. They have just 10 conference games – 16 overall – remaining on the schedule, before the WAC Tournament begins May 11 in Fresno, Calif.
Only the top six of the eight WAC teams are permitted to make the tournament. In scraping the bottom of the conference barrel, the Aggies know they need to get going soon.
“We’re really good,” Tyteca said. “We’re just having rough troubles right now, but we’re working through them.”
“It’s only a matter of time before it sinks in,” Kalaba added, noting that three conference opponents – Nevada, Louisiana Tech and San Jose State, the next conference foe for the Aggies April 8-9 – are also currently sitting in a sinking boat. “It’s just a matter of if it sinks in before it’s too late.”
USU sits two games behind fifth-place Louisiana Tech, and just one game behind San Jose State and Nevada, who are tied for sixth and seventh in the conference at 1-5.
“They are pushing themselves because they want so badly to be out of this losing streak they are in, but in doing that, they are getting a little bit too anxious swinging,” said Kalaba of her team’s offensive woes. “That’s human nature.”
The Xs and Os analysis came with an off-the-field analogy illustrating how important it is for the Aggies to continue to plug away.
“Edison didn’t make the lightbulb the first try, you know?” Kalaba said. “I mean, every huge person that’s achieved something great in life has failed a thousand times before they’ve actually succeeded. Now, we have the opportunity to turn these failures into successes. We’ve faced some very good teams, some very good pitchers.
“We’re a pretty young team, so they’re learning from these mistakes. We will come into the next conference match smarter and stronger.”
Before facing SJSU, the Aggies will encounter two sets of doubleheaders this week. They travel to Ogden to face Weber State Tuesday at 2 p.m. before hosting Utah Valley Wednesday, also beginning at 2 p.m.
– rhett.wilkinson@aggiemail.usu.edu