Softball battles harsh weather to take two of three from BSU
It was a race against the sunset Saturday night as the Aggie softball team pulled out its second win to take the weekend series against Boise State.
After losing the first game of Saturday’s double-header 10-1, the Aggies retaliated to win the later game 7-6. USU also won Friday night’s game against the Broncos 4-3.
Aggie head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba said she was very pleased with the outcome of the weekend.
“The girls did a great job with focusing on the fundamentals of the game,” she said. “They got runners on, got runners off, good defense, pitching came through, it was really good.”
Friday’s win was the first win ever for the Aggies over Boise State, who have had a softball program for just three years.
It took two and a half innings for anyone to score, but senior infielder Kelley Kaneshiro ended that with a double to left field, and was later brought in to the plate by senior outfielder Joreigh Landers. In that third inning, the Aggies scored three of the four runs for the game.
Boise State fought back, scoring two runs in the top of the fourth. Aggie sophomore pitcher Shelbi Tyteca prevented them from scoring more than that when she got the Aggies out of a bases-loaded jam. Sophomore pitcher Mandy Harmon came in to relieve Tyteca after the Broncos tied the game in the top of the fifth inning. In the bottom of the seventh, freshman Allison Lenzora was at the plate when a wild pitch allowed freshman Krista Bava to cross the plate for what ended up being the winning run.
Saturday’s games were delayed by rain for nearly two and a half hours. The USU grounds crew along with players and coaches from both teams, worked to get the field playable.
The first game was all about the Broncos, who won the game 10-1 in just six innings, six of them coming in the fourth inning alone. In the bottom of the fourth, the Aggies scored their sole run of the game with a home run from Kaneshiro, her seventh of the season.
Boise State added another four runs in the top of the sixth, which the Aggies couldn’t match. The win put junior Bronco pitcher Aubray Zell at 10-1 on the season.
Game two of the day started off much better for the Aggies, who went up 3-0 in the first inning. With two runners on base, Kaneshiro hit her second home run of the day to deep center field, bringing everyone home.
The Broncos took the lead in the third inning, scoring four runs. Junior Christina Capobianco hit a triple deep into right field, bringing in two runners. Two walks and an error later, Boise State had two more runs.
In the fifth inning, the Aggies took the lead back with Bava hitting a line drive to center field, followed by a home run from senior Shasta Tyteca.
Two Broncos scored in the sixth inning, but after a strikeout, two others were left on base and it was the Aggies’ turn again.
Determined to finish the game before it got too dark, the Aggies took the lead again in the bottom of the sixth, this time for good. A single to left field from Bava brought Landers across the plate.
With a quick seventh inning, the game ended as darkness fell on Logan, leaving the Aggies with an improved record of 9-35, 4-8 in WAC play.
“When you have wins, you fly off the adrenaline,” Millsap-Kalaba said. “It would be reversed if you fought that hard and lost. It would take a lot more out of you and take the wind out of your sails.”
This week, the Aggies are heading to Pocatello, Idaho, to take on Idaho State on Wednesday. They return home for a three-game series against Fresno State this weekend. They will play a double-header on Friday, starting at 1 p.m and will play at noon Saturday, ending just in time for the spring football game.
“We had a great hitting weekend and I just want to see that continue,” Kaneshiro said. “Our pitching was good, our defense was great, and if we can just have that again next weekend we’ll be great all around.”
– megan.allen@aggiemail.usu.edu