Softball squad sweeps doubleheader at home
The Aggies were led by hard-hitting Tina Ferguson who went 6-6 over the two games with nine RBIs in the outings. Prior to Tuesday, Ferguson had hit in a total of 13 RBIs on the season and had been suffering a bit offensively.
USU basically dominated the first game from the bottom of the first to the end. Things started out rough. USU got down 2-0 in the first inning as senior pitcher Kate Greenough had a bit of trouble from the mound. The game really wasn’t much of a competition after that. Greenough allowed one hit for the remaining five innings, which came in the top of the second. Aggie head coach Carissa Millsap-Kabala said she was able to turn it around and shut down from that leadoff hit onward.
“After that no one got on base except for the walk,” Kabala said of a solitary walk Greenough pitched in the top of the fifth of the first game. “It was smart. She was on her ninth pitch for that at bat and the next batter we had struck out every single time we faced her. I was saying, ‘Just let go of that one and we’ll go after the next one.’ That was the only other girl that got on base that game.”
Aggie bats did the rest. Ferguson batted in four runs on two triples and a single, scoring once herself, and USU’s Kelley Kaneshiro hit two home runs on 2-3 hitting for the day.
The second game was much more difficult for the Aggies. USU trailed by five going into the bottom of the fifth inning of a seven inning ball game. Aggie Joreigh Landers singled to start things off, and Ferguson followed with a towering home run over the left center field wall. The two run homer was the only scoring USU produced in the inning, and it brought the Aggies back to within two runs. Solid pitching by Aggie freshman pitcher Shelbi Tyteca kept the Wolverines scoreless in the top of the sixth, and Ferguson drove in the runs when they mattered most.
USU had already scored one run and successfully loaded the bases when Landers came to bat for the Aggies. There were no outs on the board, USU had already scored one, and Wolverine pitcher Mandy Tapia was obviously laboring to do her job. Ferguson came to bat and hit a shallow blooper just over the shortstop’s head and just short of the left fielder’s glove to bring in two runs. Ferguson said she felt much more comfortable batting in a collegiate setting in these games.
“I’m just making up for all the times I didn’t hit the ball before,” Ferguson said. “Coach has been working with me a lot to relax. That’s what happens I guess when you’re relaxed.”
The icing on the cake came immediately after. Ferguson’s RBIs tied the game up at six apiece. On the Ferguson hit, the Aggie bench cleared to congratulate Simone Hubbard and Nicole Tindall for their runs. As the Aggies filed back toward the dugout, Tapia walked leisurely back to the circle with the ball. Before she arrived in the circle, however, Megan McDonald took advantage of the confusion and UVU’s lack of attention to leave third base and steal home for the go-ahead run.
Kabala was quick to praise Ferguson.
“We’ve been working real hard with Tina,” Kabala said. “She’s been in a slump for the last couple weeks. She just blew out today. She did a fantastic job.”
These two wins snap an eight-game losing streak for the Aggies, all of which have been played on the road. The Aggies combined in the two games for 23 hits in the doubleheader. USU will continue Wednesday on the road against Weber State and will return home for a three-game homestand on Friday and Saturday against San Jose State. Friday’s doubleheader will start at 2 p.m. and Saturday’s game will warm up Aggie fans for the USU football spring game as it starts at 11 a.m.
– la.hem@aggiemail.usu.edu