Softball weekly recap: Batters make history, pitchers still finding their groove

Last week, USU Softball went 1–2 in a series against the Mountain West–leading Nevada Wolf Pack but managed to secure a history-making win in the process.

After dropping the first two games of the series in dramatic fashion, the Aggies bounced back to trounce Nevada 14–4 in five innings, highlighted by a school-record 13-run fourth inning.

“I’m usually pretty catastrophic and not optimistic,” head coach Todd Judge said. “[But] I actually think it’s probably one of the best offenses I’ve seen in a long time in college softball, and I think we can compete with anybody in the country, not just in the Mountain West.”

Utah State saw plenty of Nevada’s pitching in fall scrimmages, which helped fuel the best offensive series any team has had against the Wolf Pack all season.

“They attack the zone early, so we made sure we attacked right away,” said right fielder Kya Pratt, who sealed the record-breaking inning in game three with a grand slam. “We also just had confidence that we played against these girls multiple times in the past.”

If batting were the sole measure of success in softball, Utah State would rank among the NCAA’s elite. The team ranks in the top 25 nationally in nearly every key batting statistic, including batting average, No. 14, on-base percentage, No. 16, slugging percentage, No. 16, hits, No. 9, doubles, No. 8, and home runs, No. 23. 

Yet, their historically brilliant offense has been consistently undermined by a pitching staff that’s struggled to find its footing.

In the Nevada series, the Aggie offense exploded for 35 runs over three games, but their pitching gave up 29 runs, including 17 on 20 hits in game two. 

That’s not to say the team’s pitching hasn’t shown flashes of promise. In fact, Judge believes his pitchers tend to unravel during two key stretches of a game rather than struggling from start to finish.

“If you look at the statistics, we’ve given the most runs up this year in the first and sixth [innings],” Judge said. “That means we’re not coming ready to pitch in the beginning. Probably the most anxiety is when you start a game, and another high anxiety point is towards the sixth, when the game is on the line.”

A closer look at Utah State’s two losses to Nevada reveals the damage was done either early or late in the games. 

In the opener on April 17, the Wolf Pack edged out a 1–0 lead in the first two innings and then dominated the final two frames, outscoring the Aggies 6–0. On April 18, USU mounted a late rally with four unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings — but only after falling into a 10–0 hole by the end of the second.

All these stats reinforce what Judge and his players have echoed all season: The pitching staff tends to falter when the pressure peaks. When called on to set the tone early, they often lose their grip, and when asked to close out tight games, they tighten up.

But after a strong five-inning performance from Rylie Pindel on April 19, along with promising signs from Denay Smith and Emmalyn Brinka, the seldom-optimistic Judge reaffirmed his confidence in the pitching staff.

“There’s glimpses of our pitching getting better, and my gut tells me for the first time that it’s all going to come together here at the end when it matters most,” Judge said. 

If the pitching is going to improve, it needs to happen fast. With just two series remaining, the Aggies have a chance to clinch a first-round bye in the Mountain West tournament for the first time in program history.

“We had three goals for our season,” Judge said. “One was to have a winning record against non-conference opponents. The second was to clinch the Mountain West before the last weekend. And the third plan was to win the Mountain West.”

Have a winning record against non-conference opponents? Check. 

Clinch the Mountain West before the last weekend of the season? They’ll have a chance to do that this week.

Win the Mountain West? Only time will tell. 

For now, Utah State is locked in on adding another milestone to the record books by clinching the first-round bye against conference cellar-dweller UNLV. 

The three-game series will start April 25 and will run through April 27.

The Aggies head into the series brimming with confidence, but Pratt is adamant she and her teammates stay locked in and avoid cutting corners.

“A lot could happen in the Mountain West,” Pratt said. “Never take anyone for granted, attack those pitches and just trust the plan.”