Softball loses third straight
Four pitchers, 13 runs and a fifth-inning mercy rule made for one long afternoon for Utah State softball.
The Aggies dropped their third straight game Wednesday to a visiting Idaho State team that produced runs at will, crushing the home team 13-3.
Though USU’s conference standing remains unaffected, the loss drops the Aggies to an overall record of 9-20 as they approach a three-game road trip to Nevada this weekend.
“We’ve got to be able to grow and learn from this,” said USU head coach Steve Johnson. “We’re going to flush this game and get on the road to Reno tomorrow and get ready to be back in conference games.”
Idaho State scored once in the first inning before heating up in the second, putting the Aggies in a 5-0 hole before USU star pitcher Noelle Johnson was relieved by sophomore Alleyah Armendariz.
The Bengals offense continued the onslaught in the third inning, crossing home plate another four times before freshman pitcher Paige Mills was given her first career appearance at the mound. Mills closed the inning without any further damage done before giving up four runs of her own in the fourth.
After abusing every Utah State pitcher who took the mound for three-straight innings, Idaho State managed to run the score up to 13-0 before USU was finally able to put its offense together.
In the bottom of the fourth, freshman catcher Brina Buttacavoli hit a line drive to center field, bringing home Johnson for the Aggies’ first score. A passed ball followed by a ground out from junior outfielder Sarah Chow allowed Buttacavoli and senior third baseman Nicole Arata to cut into ISU’s sizeable lead, bringing the score to 13-3 at the start of the fifth.
Freshman Jordyn McCracken was able to hold the Bengals scoreless in the fifth, but the Aggies failed to close the gap, ending the game two innings early.
“I think we need to do a better job of not getting down right away,” Chow said. “Even if it’s a couple runs at the beginning, there’s still a lot of game left.”
Chow, who leads USU in batting average and on-base percentage this season, earned two hits in three at-bats on an otherwise quiet day for the Aggie offense. Despite what is now a three-game losing skid for USU, Chow says the upcoming weekend could be an opportunity to get the Aggies back in the win column.
“The biggest thing is to bounce back,” Chow said. “Nevada is definitely a very beatable team, so we should get our minds right. We should be able to get good wins against them.”
— logantjones@aggiemail.usu.edu
Twitter: @logantj