Aggies show fight, falter late against No. 1 Texas Tech

Utah State Softball showed, for a moment, exactly what it’s capable of.

Then, just as quickly, it showed why this season has slipped away.

The Aggies erased a six-run deficit and briefly took the lead against No. 1 in the nation Texas Tech, but a disastrous sixth inning unraveled everything in a 17-7 loss in six innings Monday night at the LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field.

Utah State, 16-26, 5-11 Mountain West, trailed 6-0 entering the fifth inning before putting together one of its best offensive stretches of the season. After loading the bases, senior right fielder Kya Pratt delivered a grand slam to center field, cutting the deficit to one. Two batters later, Grace Matej launched a two-run home run to give the Aggies a 7-6 lead and a jolt of energy in front of their largest home crowd of the season.

“I think it was just believing that we can do it,” Pratt said. “They’re just another team that puts their socks on the same way as us. We found a plan and used it to our advantage.”

For five innings, Utah State had done enough to stay within striking distance against one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Senior pitcher Carly Limosnero, making just her fourth start of the season, worked through traffic and limited damage early, allowing the Aggies a chance to hang around.

“I think she threw an unbelievable five innings for us,” said interim head coach Shelby Thompson. “When she feels good, she can compete with anyone in the country.”

But the margin for error against a team like Texas Tech is razor thin, and Utah State exceeded it in the sixth.

The Red Raiders opened the inning with a single and double and then tied the game on a play at the plate when the Aggies missed a tag. A misplayed ball in center field on the next at-bat allowed two more runs to score. Another error in the infield extended the inning, and Texas Tech capitalized with three home runs in the frame to break the game open.

By the time the inning ended, Texas Tech had scored 11 runs, turning a one-run deficit into a 17-7 lead and putting the game out of reach.

“It was a couple of the same mistakes that we keep making,” Thompson said. “Pre-pitch communication, understanding where to go with the ball. Those create hesitation in big moments.”

Utah State committed four errors in the game and again struggled to contain opposing hitters with a thin pitching staff that has been taxed throughout the season.

The loss followed a familiar script for the Aggies, who entered the year with NCAA tournament expectations under former head coach Todd Judge before his resignation on March 17, just as conference play began. Injuries — most notably to ace Emmalyn Brinka — and a lack of pitching depth have contributed to a 7.43 team ERA and made it difficult to hold leads or stop big innings.

Even so, Utah State has continued to show flashes of the team it expected to be.

The middle of the lineup, led by Pratt, Alex Bunton, Kaylee Erickson and Matej, has produced consistently, and younger players like Kate Vance and Jazmin Ramirez have begun to emerge in conference play. That potential was evident in the fifth inning, when the Aggies strung together quality at-bats against a top-ranked opponent and seized control of the game.

“We were just trying to fight for each other,” Pratt said. “This team is amazing. We can do special things.”

Those moments, however, have been difficult to sustain.

Defensive lapses, baserunning mistakes and inconsistent pitching have repeatedly undermined otherwise competitive performances, and the game on April 13 was no different. Against the No. 1 team in the country, those issues were magnified.

With three weeks remaining in the regular season, Utah State sits at No. 9 in the Mountain West Conference, with only the top six teams advancing to the conference tournament. The path forward is narrow, but the Aggies believe the formula is still there.

“I think it’s just consistency,” Thompson said. “When we show up and we play consistent and we play with some pride, then we have a really good shot in any game that we walk into.”

For one inning against the NCAA’s top team, Utah State looked like that team. Over the rest of the game, it looked like the one its record reflects.