USU softball team takes one of three in its first road trip in two weeks
Playing on the road for the first time in two weeks, the Utah State women’s softball team took one of three games from the Cal Poly Mustangs this weekend at Bob Janssen Field.
Cal Poly 4, USU 2
Take away the third inning, and the Aggies held the Mustangs to a measly one hit and zero runs, while collecting five hits and scoring two runs themselves.
However, in what has been a problematic theme for the Aggies this season, their opponent strung together several runs in an inning – this time the fourth – scoring four runs in its 4-2 opening game victory over the Aggies.
Looking to end its three-game losing streak, USU stormed out to a 2-0 lead after one inning.
Danielle Rodriguez got the Aggies going, drawing a one-out walk and stealing second base. Following a Shannon Acevedo single to right field, the Aggies made a gutsy decision that paid off when a successfully executed double steal sent Rodriguez plateward.
Mustang pitcher Terra Blankenbecler got catcher Breanne Nickle to fly out to right field, but a two-out single by Stephanie Vasarhely gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead.
Michelle Uithoven opened the bottom of the fourth for Cal Poly with a walk, followed by Gemmi Dalena reaching base on a fielder’s choice. The next batter, left fielder Nicole Dansby, loaded the bases on a bunt single.
Christie Wells took advantage with an RBI single up the gut. Cal Poly scored three more runs before the inning ended, including runs scored on a fielder’s choice and a wild pitch.
Lisa Spencer took the loss despite pitching six strong innings of three-hit ball. Vasarhely went 2-for-3 at the plate for the Aggies.
USU 5, Cal Poly 0
Allowing bases on balls has been a problem for the Aggies the entire season, but it wasn’t a problem for junior pitcher Xochitl Ramirez in game two of Saturday’s doubleheader.
Ramirez held the Mustangs to five hits and zero walks in the Aggies’ first shutout victory of the season.
In an apparent pitchers’ duel between Rameriz and Cassie Vanderneck, the Aggies broke through in the fifth and sixth innings.
Consecutive fifth-inning singles by Heather Curtis and Casey Smith prompted the Mustangs to pull Vanderneck in favor of Jennifer Graver.
While the decision to put in Graver initially worked for the Mustangs as she retired three straight Aggie batters after Curtis scored on an error by catcher Michelle Uithoven, USU took advantage in the sixth.
Stephanie Vasarhely reached base on a fielding error, Kara Tarbet singled and Amanda Carlson reached base on a fielder’s choice, loading the bases with no outs.
Tarbet would score the first run of the inning on a Mustang throwing error. An RBI single by Danielle Rodriguez and two-run single by Shannon Acevedo later, the Aggies had a comfortable 5-0 lead.
Tarbet and Curtis collected two hits apiece for the Aggies.
Cal Poly 2, USU 0
The third and final game of the series belonged to Mustang pitcher Terra Blankenbecler.
Blankenbecler improved to 12-10 on the season, striking out five batters while allowing only two hits in a 2-0 Mustang victory on Sunday afternoon.
Cal Poly scored runs in the first and third innings, improving to 21-26 on the season; USU fell to 7-35.
Aided by two walks in the first inning, the Mustangs scored what turned out to be the winning run on a Kasey Poet sacrifice. Cal Poly added an insurance run in the third, compliments of two Aggie errors.
Despite the loss, USU received another strong pitching performance from freshman Lisa Spencer. After replacing Kristin Hommel in the second inning, Spencer held the Mustangs to only one unearned run in five innings.