BYU’s four-run third inning dooms Aggies
USU allowed six hits and four runs in the third inning against BYU which ultimately led to a 5-4 defeat.
The Aggies jumped out to a quick start in the first inning. Delaney Hull struck out four of the first 10 batters she faced, with a lone slip-up against the second batter, BYU’s Briielle Breland who hit a solo home run.
In their first chance at bat, USU utilized its speed to get on base. Lead-off hitter Leah Molina and Jazmin Clarke both got on base via bunt, with Riley Plogger getting to first by error to load the bases. Senior catcher Brina Buttacavoli then stepped up to the plate and delivered a base-clearing double with a hit deep into right field.
Unfortunately for the Aggies, they began to falter on offense and defense. Between Buttacavoli’s double and the fourth inning, USU got just one runner on base and didn’t record a hit. On defense, senior pitcher Jordyn McCracken came in for Delaney Hull to start the third inning and gave up six hits and four runs. McCracken allowed hits on her first five batters faced.
The decision to pull Hull after two innings seemed questionable considering how well she did and how much McCracken struggled. But the coaches planned before the game to use all three pitchers in the game, a decision made with future games in mind.
“We’ve got a lot of conference games left,” assistant coach Windy Thees said. “We’re preparing for Fresno State and all three needed some work.”
Kellie White came in for McCracken at the start of the fifth inning and Utah State allowed just two hits and zero runs while Bailey Trapp reignited the Aggie bats with a solo home run in the fourth inning, but the damage was done and USU couldn’t overcome the poor third inning.
Outside of the third inning, BYU had just six hits and one run. Thees, who filled in for head coach Steve Johnson as he served a one-game suspension after an ejection last weekend, said it’s been the “one bad inning” that has hurt them all year.
“We just had that one bad inning and that’s been the curse of our year,” Thees said. “We have an inning where we kick it around a little bit, maybe get misreads on defense and balls get through that should get through and we give up runs.”
Utah State put itself in a great position in the final inning to tie or win the game. With two out, the tying run, Molina, was on second base with Buttacavoli, the team’s leader in RBI’s coming up to bat. But BYU didn’t take any chances and intentionally walked Buttacavoli and pinch-hitter Allanah Alvarado struck out swinging to end the game.
Molina said even with the loss, there were some positives the team can take into conference play.
“I think after today and after Saturday we’re really going in [to conference play] with a lot of confidence,” Molina said. “We have a better vibe as a team I think as a whole.”
Utah State will travel to Fresno State this weekend and play a three-game series against the Bulldogs.