USU softball wins one, loses two over weekend
It’s rare for a pitcher to throw a one-hitter in a softball game — rarer still for that same pitcher to give up back-to-back-to-back homeruns just two days later.
Such was the case for Utah State softball’s rollercoaster of a weekend. The Aggies began their conference schedule with a three-game homestead against New Mexico, earning a 4-0 win Friday behind junior pitcher Noelle Johnson’s finest performance of the season.
“Noelle threw a great game,” said USU head coach Steve Johnson. “We got the runs that we needed, and we just played an all-around great game. It’s a good start, but it’s just one. We still have a long way to go.”
Noelle allowed just one hit and notched six strikeouts in USU’s conference opener, which improved the Aggies’ overall record to 9-17 heading into Saturday’s matchup.
New Mexico wasted no time in its hunt for a revenge game, hitting a homerun two batters into the first inning on Saturday. The Lobos added four additional runs in the second.
USU chipped away at the UNM lead throughout the game and trailed by just one run heading into the bottom of the seventh, but after tagging out the potential game-tying run at home plate and making an easy catch in left field, the Lobos were able to snuff Aggies’ comeback bid by a final score of 8-7.
“When we answer back from big plays, we have to go out with the mentality of shutting them down and that’s been a problem for us all year, and I think that’s where the game turned,” Johnson said.
A weekend that once appeared promising quickly soured, as the same USU team that pitched a shutout Friday allowed the Lobos to ride an eight-run sixth inning toward a 12-2 beatdown.
“I’m not sure what was different between day one and day three,” Johnson said. “We used the exact same lineup today as we did Friday. It just comes down to where we’re at with our focus and our mental game.”
The nightmare inning began with the Aggies giving up a 3-0 lead, but the real damage came in the sixth, as three-straight New Mexico players smashed homeruns before Noelle was relieved by freshman pitcher Jordyn McCracken.
New Mexico managed to run through its entire batting lineup in the inning, allowing center fielder Mariah Rimmer to hit two homers in the same inning. The Lobos’ dominant win earned them the season series from the Aggies, 2-1.
“New Mexico made the adjustments, and we didn’t,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to find it in our heads somewhere to come out and fight a lot harder.”
— logantjones@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @logantj