Sun shines, but not on Ag softball
Seldom will there be finer weather than there was for the USU softball team’s home doubleheader Thursday afternoon.
With the home weather woes the Aggies have had this season, the cloudless sky and 65-degree temperature were a definite change for the better.
Not that it mattered.
The Aggies dropped both games to the visiting Colorado State Rams, 7-2 and 4-0, bringing their home record to 0-4.
USU continued its offensive struggles, as its one, two and three hitters totaled four hits in 27 at bats (including lead-off hitter and left fielder Marcie Neff, who went 0-for-6 and has a .174 season batting average).
Pitching was a bright spot for the Aggies (6-30, 1-8 in the Big West), though not in the first contest.
Freshman Carli Baumgartner (2-15) started the game but was pulled after three and one-third innings for giving up four hits and five earned runs, a majority of which came in the top of the fourth (USU held a 2-1 lead to begin the inning).
Aggie Head Coach Debbie Bilbao replaced her with the other half of the pitching staff: Freshman Leslie Higley.
Higley (4-15) gave up six hits and two earned runs, but had a much better showing in the second game.
She pitched five scoreless innings, retired four Ram batters, and gave up four earned runs (two coming in both the first and seventh innings).
“We’re both young and we have a lot to learn,” Higley said, commenting on how difficult it is to have only her and Baumgartner in the pitching rotation. “[Being pulled], that happens to both of us. We’ve both had turns. We both understand that it’s not a big deal when you get pulled.”
Bilbao does the only thing she can do with a team that has lost 30 of its first 36 games and is last place in the Big West: look at the bright side.
“On a lighter note, [Leslie and Carli are] getting a lot of great experience. They really are,” Bilbao said. “They’re figuring out where they can’t throw the ball and what pitch they have to throw when. That sometimes is more important.”
The obvious was USU’s struggle offensively. The Aggies loaded the bases for three consecutive batters in the bottom of the second inning in the second game, but failed to produce a run as CSU (27-10, 6-4 in Mountain West conference play) made two straight force-outs at home base before USU shortstop Haven Vance lined out to left field, ending the inning.
Only one runner made it on base for the remainder of that game for the home squad (a single by second baseman Quela Henderson in the bottom of the sixth).
The shutout was USU’s 12th of the season, and was the first for CSU freshman pitcher JayCee Wood (4-0).
“It’s a little bit of a surprise with JayCee because she’s a freshman and hasn’t pitched a lot of innings,” said third-year CSU Head Coach Mary Yori.
“To get that shutout was big for her,” she said. “I figured it might be an 8-5 game or an 8-3 or a 4-2. I thought there would be some rise on both teams, and I thought Utah State would attack the ball for sure.”
USU popped or grounded out 18 times in game two, and Colorado State was much the same as it popped out 12 times and grounded out thrice.
“Sometimes things really go your way, and sometimes they don’t,” Bilbao said. “I think we were just a little bit anxious. We’re a fiery team. We either hit really, really well or we don’t hit hardly at all.”
The Aggies’ two runs in game one came off shortstop Haven Vance’s second-inning RBI single and third baseman Stephanie Vasarhely’s sacrafice fly in the third inning.
Ags host conference foe UCSB Saturday and Sunday
UC Santa Barbara (30-16, 5-6 for fifth place in the Big West) comes to Johnson Field for a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and one game Sunday at 12 p.m.
“Santa Barbara is a fiery team,” Bilbao said. “These last few years they have really come on, and their program is on the upswing – something we can hopefully do here as well. They’re going to be aggressive.
“The big thing is we need to pitch well and make the plays we should,” she said.
One obstacle remains: The weather. Weather.com forecasts light morning showers Saturday and scattered showers Sunday.
The Aggies have already had three of their five home games canceled due to rain or snow.
-samhis@cc.usu.edu