leads Aggie softball team in weekend victories
In the 2002 Capital Classic Softball Tournament, after a 1-4 start, Utah State fought its way into the consolation championship game before falling to Middle Tennessee State in 10 innings.
Starting Aggie pitcher Kristin Hommel didn’t allow a hit in eight innings before being replaced by freshman Lindsay Janssen. Janssen was relieved by Xochitl Ramirez in the ninth.
With international tiebreaker rules in place after the seventh inning and a runner starting on second base to begin the inning, Ramirez gave up Middle Tennessee’s lone hit in the bottom of the 10th. The single, by Blue Raider Erica Buhl, scored Lindsay Azevedo, giving Middle Tennessee the 1-0 victory.
“In my opinion it was a win for us,” Aggie Head Coach Debbie Bilbao said. “We had opportunities and pushed hard. It was the first time all year I’ve seen us battle from top to bottom.”
Bilbao said the pitching staff has been improving, and their ERA has been going down.
“They’re giving us opportunities to win,” she said. “They did a phenomenal job as a staff.”
Starting the tournament with pool play Thursday and Friday, the Aggies opened with a 1-3 record.
In their first game Thursday, the Aggies lost in five innings to No. 5 University of Nebraska, 8-0, but rebounded in the second game to defeat Long Island University, 3-0.
Against Long Island Hommel threw a complete game, allowing only two-hits and striking out nine, to pick up her first win of the season. Utah State scored its three runs on eight hits.
“[The players] didn’t like their performance in the first game,” Bilbao said. “Sometimes in a doubleheader there is a tendency to hold back. I want them to play hard every game. They came out and chose to rebound.”
In the second day of pool play the Aggies dropped both of their games, losing to No. 25 University of Wisconsin, 4-2, and St. Mary’s University, 1-0.
The Aggies had seven hits against St. Mary’s in the final game of pool play, but were unable to score. Catcher Breanne Smith and shortstop Heather Curtis both doubled in the game.
Pitching for the Aggies, Janssen allowed one run on five hits, while striking out five in the loss.
“Against St. Mary’s we did a great job of execution and a great job of getting on base,” Bilbao said.
She said the team just needs to learn to execute better with runners on base.
“We need clutch hitters to get people in,” she said.
The players are starting to feel comfortable at the plate and are showing more confidence, Bilbao said, but they just need to be patient and let the opposing pitcher make the mistakes.
Bracket play began Saturday with the Aggies falling to tournament host Sacramento State, 4-1, in the first round.
The Aggies scored one run on five hits, but allowed the Hornets four runs on 10 hits.
In the game the Aggies did not commit a fielding error.
“We’re doing better [in the field], but we’re still giving away extra bases,” Bilbao said. “We need to learn to take advantage of the situation.”
The first-round loss placed the Aggies into the consolation bracket where they had a first-round bye before facing San Jose State University Sunday morning.
Pitching for the first time since March 1, Ramirez threw a shutout, giving up only four hits.
“Hopefully, it will be a big boost for her confidence,” Bilbao said.
In the fourth inning, with Aggie Danielle Rodriguez on base with a walk, Smith hit her second home run of the season to score Utah State’s only runs of the game.
The 2-0 victory put the Aggies in the consolation championship against Middle Tennessee.
For the tournament, the Aggies finished 2-5, moving their overall record to 3-20.
The Aggies were scheduled to play at the University of Utah Wednesday, but the game has been postponed until April 23 due to snow on the field, Bilbao said.
She said it would be good for the team to have another game before Big West Conference play begins, but the team can use the practice and time off to prepare for conference play.