Softball: Johnson spurs Aggie sweep of Colorado State in MWC opener
It was a weekend to remember for the Utah State softball team as the Aggies notched a sweep of Colorado State in their first ever Mountain West Conference series.
Game 1: USU 1 CSU 0 (9 innings)
Sophomore pitcher Noelle Johnson tossed nine scoreless innings and cleanup hitter Paxton Provost hit a walk-off single to give the Aggies a 1-0 win in USU’s inaugural Mountain West Conference game.
Johnson was lights-out from start to finish against the Rams, striking out 14 batters and allowing four hits while earning her 10th win of the season. It was Johnson’s fifth shutout and 10th complete game of the season.
“Coming into it, I just felt confident and knew I just needed to trust myself, my defense, and just let the game work out for itself,” said Johnson, whose 14 strikeouts mark is second-best in USU history behind her own record of 16, which she set earlier in the year.
Sophomore outfielder Kirystn Namba hit a single to right field in the bottom of the ninth and then advanced to second after a CSU error. Freshman third baseman Victoria Saucedo advanced Namba to third after a flyout to right field to set up Provost.
The freshman stepped up to the plate and drove the ball over the right fielder’s head to knock in Namba for the game-winning run.
“Throughout the whole game, the umpire was calling it pretty outside,” Namba said. “I thought ‘I already struck out twice on pretty outside, I can’t do that again,’ so I just got on the line, shortened up and looked for that one pitch right there.”
Game 2: USU 5 CSU 4
The Aggies got a big boost from junior center fielder Hailey Froton, who drove in four runs to lead the Aggies to a 5-4 victory over CSU in the second game of the series Saturday.
“Our first conference series, to start off with two wins couldn’t be any better,” Froton said.
With the Aggies starting freshman Cheyenne Harper on the mound and the Rams starting freshman pitcher Larisa Petakoff, both teams found more offensive success.
The Rams jumped on the Aggies early, tacking on two runs in the second inning, but the Aggies responded to take the 3-2 lead when Froton knocked in three runs with a bases-loaded single to right.
After each team scored a run in the third inning, Johnson relieved Harper to pitch the last four innings and picked up her eleventh win on the season. Johnson surrendered four hits, no earned runs and no walks in relief.
The Aggies were led offensively by the bottom three of their lineup in shortstop Jolene Koons, second baseman Allison Lenzora and Froton. The trio combined to go 3-for-6 with three walks and four RBIs.
“It’s great to have production all throughout the lineup,” said USU head coach Steve Johnson. “They’re confident, which is something they haven’t been in the past, and right now they feel like they can play with anybody in the conference.”
The win Saturday gave USU 12 for the season, eclipsing the 11-win total from last season.
Game 3: USU 7 CSU 4
Noelle Johnson flexed her muscles both on the mound and at the plate as the Aggies completed the sweep of Colorado State in their first ever Mountain West series with a 7-2 win on Sunday.
Pitching all seven innings, Johnson surrendered just three hits and struck out six. Johnson picked up her 12th win of the season, bringing her record to 12-8. All eight games during the winning streak have been won by Johnson.
“She’s just a workhorse for us,” Steve Johnson said. “She loves that role right now and is relishing in it.”
And if her pitching wasn’t enough, Johnson showcased her batting power by connecting on two home runs for five runs batted in. The power from the Aggies’ No. 5 hitter came as no surprise to head coach Johnson.
“Honestly, I couldn’t even tell you where the pitches were. I just swung as hard as I could,” Noelle Johnson said.
“We knew the home runs would come,” Steve Johnson said. “She’s been hitting like that in pregame and practice for months. She just hadn’t teed off on one in a game yet, but she got a hold of a couple today. That’s great to see, with the ultimate `help-your-own cause.'”
With the sweep of CSU, the Aggies improved to 13-13 on the season and 3-0 in conference play. USU has won eight-straight games – with Johnson earning all eight wins – which is the longest winning streak in the program since 1993.
The Aggies return to action Tuesday at noon when they face Southern Utah University in Provo.
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Twitter: @Makelky