Aggie softball falls flat to Idaho State, 6-1
USU lost to the Idaho State Bengals for the second time this season, falling 6-1 in a seven-inning game at home on LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Softball Field Wednesday afternoon. Utah State now has 7-34 record and is 2-7 in WAC play. The Aggies also fall to 0-4 at home this season.
After starting out strong with a home run to center field, it looked like freshman Kassy Uchida had set the tone, and the Aggies looked poised to exact revenge on visiting Idaho State. Instead, the Aggies fell flat.
Despite their record, the team has have high hopes for the rest of the season.
“It’s all going to go uphill from here, it’s going to be great,” Uchida said.
Uchida has been a bright spot for the Aggies so far this season. This game marked her second home run of the season and she leads the team in batting averages with a .333. She has started 35 out of the 41 games for the team and has scored 15 runs. In just her first year, she looks to have plenty of potential for the Aggie team, both in the outfield and at bat.
“She’s doing a real good job handling herself as a freshman. I get excited every time she gets to the plate,” head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba said.
There were many times Utah State seemed in position to challenge the lead the Bengals took in the top of the third. Instead, inning after inning, the Aggies couldn’t seem to turn hits into runs. The team kept getting people on base, many times all the way to third, and then getting their third out. In the final inning, it seemed like Aggies were making a comeback with a runner on both second and third base. Sophomore catcher Tina Ferguson hit what looked to be a home run, only to have it fall into the glove of ISU center fielder Courtney Dial, ending the game.
“We had some missed opportunities, we got the runners on base but didn’t get them in,” Millsap-Kalaba said. “It’s part of the game, it happens.”
Home runs were the standard of scoring for the game with six of the total runs in the game coming off homers. The first was by Uchida, the next by the Bengals for two runs at the top of the third inning. The final home run landed the Bengals three runs after Desiree Hoffman smashed the ball out to right center field, allowing her, Dial and Courtney Hancock to hit home plate.
“We looked really strong,” Uchida said. “They just got timely hits and unfortunately, those hits cost us.”
One of the great plays of the game occurred at the top of the seventh inning. After a solid hit by an ISU player toward second base, Utah State shortstop Allison Lenzora dove to grab the ball and threw it perfectly toward first base. Senior Kelley Kaneshiro caught the throw and tagged out the runner.
“That was a phenomenal, ESPN-type play. It was amazing,” Millsap-Kalaba said.
Utah State’s next three games are against the Boise State Broncos Friday at 3 p.m. and in a doubleheader on Saturday set to begin at 1 and 3 p.m. in Logan. With Boise State tied with New Mexico State for first in the WAC, Utah State will have to be at the top of their game.
“They’re always tough …. We expect the best from them so we look to bring the best,” Millsap-Kalaba said.
–j.mill@aggiemail.usu.edu