Softball: Aggies drop series
In a three-game series with Boise State on Tuesday and Wednesday at home, the Utah State softball team was swept by the Broncos. The Aggies lost the first game 5-1, the second game 11-9 and the final game 10-1.
With the three losses, USU drops to 17-27 overall and 5-10 in the Mountain West. Boise State improves to 26-19 overall and 11-7 in conference play.
In the first game, Boise State went up 1-0 in the top of the third inning after an error by freshman third baseman Victoria Saucedo.
It was a pitcher’s duel for most of the game between USU’s Noelle Johnson and BSU’s Rebecca Patton. Neither allowed an earned run going into the seventh inning until the Broncos exploded for five-straight hits, including a home run, to put the Broncos up 5-0.
Johnson tacked on a run in the seventh with her own homer, but the Aggies fell 5-1.
The Aggie offense only managed five hits and no walks in the game.
In game two of the doubleheader, the Aggie bats finally started to do some damage. USU scored five runs in the first inning, led by junior outfielder Hailey Froton’s eighth home run of the season.
With two outs in the third and the Aggies up 6-5, the game was suspended until Wednesday due to lightning and high winds.
Resuming play at noon Wednesday, the Broncos took control with six combined runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
Trying to mount a comeback in the last inning, sophomore outfielder Kirystn Namba scored on a throwing error and junior shortstop Jolene Koons knocked in two runs with a single to left. However, the rally ended when Froton lined out to end the game.
Junior pitcher Franny Vaaulu pitched the first three innings for the Aggies, giving up just three hits, but five runs, three of them earned. Freshman Abby Indreland came in as relief but took the loss as she was hammered for six runs and seven hits in four innings of work.
In the final game of the series the Aggies allowed a Mountain West record 17 walks.
Instead of Johnson, Vaaulu and Indreland pitched once again for the Aggies. Vaaulu started and allowed just three hits in just more than three innings of work, but she gave up 10 runs, six of them earned. Vaaulu struggled to throw strikes, walking 15 batters and throwing 144 pitches.
She wasn’t helped out by the Aggie defense either, which committed two errors.
The Broncos scored a run in the top of the first, then struck the Aggies for nine runs in the next three innings. Koons singled in the third to knock in senior second baseman Allison Lenzora to give the Aggies their only run of the game.
The Aggies only recorded five hits once again, but Boise State had only three.
Utah State softball resumes play when they head to New Mexico to face the Lobos this Friday through Sunday, April 25-27.
– cmakelky@gmail.com
Twitter: @Makelky