Baseball team loses to Weber
The Utah State baseball team lost two close games 7-6 and 4-2 to Weber State Saturday afternoon at the Davis High baseball field.
In the first game the Aggies got on the scoreboard first with a five-run third inning. The first six batters for the Aggies all reached base. When Aggie centerfielder Zach Hancock singled to right-center, Justin Johnson scored but Gil Hollingsworth was thrown out at home.
After a Connor Jones RBI single, Nick Griffith singled in two more runs.
Third baseman Greg Ladd reached on a grounder that Weber’s third baseman bobbled.
Ryan Palmer doubled and Griffith was able to score. But Ladd was thrown out at home at the end of the inning.
The Aggies jumped out to a 5-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, Weber’s left fielder grounded out to the pitcher Hancock. Tagging the the runner, Hancock knocked him off the base path.
The Wildcats, appearing re-energized scored two runs on three hits before Hancock struck out Weber’s No. 2 hitter to end the inning.
The Aggies would add an insurance run in the sixth inning to go up 6-4, but it wouldn’t be enough for Utah State in the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh inning Weber started with two hits before their catcher singled to left field. Aggie left fielder Griffith missed the cutoff man and Weber’s catcher advanced to second and the other runner to third. The Wildcats scored to make the score 6-5.
WSU tied the game on a wild pitch after which the Aggies intentionally walked the batter to make a force out possible. At first, the strategy worked for the Ags when the next batter grounded to the shortstop, Palmer, who ran down the runner on third for the out.
But the next batter singled to left, scoring the winning run and deflating the Aggie players.
In the second game of the day, the umpires were a factor from the get-go.
In the bottom of the second Weber was up 1-0. After a ground out to third, the home plate umpire called a ball on a high and inside pitch. After the call the batter tugged at his batting glove and the umpire asked if it had hit him.
The batter was awarded first base and before he was halfway down the line both Aggie head coach Brett Al-Imari and first base coach Ernie Rivers were talking with umpire about the call.
The umpire had Al-Imari leave the game.
The Wildcats scored three runs to finish the second inning and go up 4-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, Hollingsworth was called out at third on another questionable call. It seemed that he not only beat the tag but also the throw.
The Aggies would score a run on the next pitch as Connor Jones singled to right-center. The Aggies would add another run in the bottom of the fifth but they would get no closer as Weber won 4-2.
Weather permitting, the baseball team will next face Dawson at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Providence.
-krn@cc.usu.edu