Softball nabs third straight victory

Make it three wins in a row for the USU softball team.

The Aggies handled their business on the road well, shutting out the Idaho State Bengals, 7-0, Wednesday afternoon at Rainey Park in Pocatello, Idaho.

A doubleheader was scheduled, but the second game was canceled because of inclement weather.

USU is now 11-21 on the season and has won five of their last six games. The Bengals dropped to 5-22, and the Aggies are 20-6 all-time against them.

The Aggies’ runs were spread fairly evenly across the game’s seven innings. USU freshman shortstop Kelley Kanishiro put USU on the board in the opening inning. She hit a single to short and was later hit home on a double by Aggie junior first baseman Aubrie Stroman.

The second inning saw the Aggies put in two more runs. To lead off the inning, freshman catcher Shasta Tyteca hit a single and then senior third baseman Amy Schaible doubled. USU sophomore right fielder Nicold Rupp drove both of them home on a double.

In the fourth inning, Rupp tallied another RBI as she hit a single to bring Schaible across home plate. In the fifth the Aggies got their final three runs on three hits.

Stroman nailed a two-out single to left field, junior designated player Kayla Dunn singled to third and Tyteca walked. Schaible put in a single to right center to score Stroman and Dunn. USU junior second baseman Jeanine Hernandez topped off the Aggie rally by bringing Tyteca home on a single.

USU junior pitcher Lindsey Benson tallied her first shutout of 2008. She collected 10 strikeouts in seven complete inings and allowed only four hits. Benson is now 10-14 on the season.

USU hosts fellow WAC team New Mexico State in a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m.

-samuel.hislop@aggiemail.usu.edu