USU sweeps doubleheader to end home season

Playing in their final home games at Johnson Field, Aggie seniors Michell Vlahos and Candice Hatch combined for seven hits and eight RBI as Utah State softball swept its doubleheader with UC Davis here Sunday. The Aggies took the first game 9-2 and the second 9-8.

Utah State has now won four straight games and improved to 22-27, while UC Davis fell to 7-47.

In the first game, Leslie Higley had a perfect game going through the first four innings as she retired the first 12 batters she faced.

Higley also got plenty of support from USU’s bats as the Aggies exploded for six runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. The inning was highlighted by a bases loaded single to right center by Vlahos that put the Aggies up 4-0. But not to be out done, Sara Fleming hit a double down the left field line in the next at bat to give USU its six runs.

The Aggies stayed hot in the fourth inning with three more runs to put the game out of reach. Amy Schaible came up with two runners on and provided all the fireworks USU would need as she plastered her third home run of the season over the right field fence.

UC Davis would eventually get to Higley in the top of the fifth, recording two runs on five hits, but Higley would settle down to pick up the win (14-10) in her 16th complete game of the season.

Rachel Kelly fell to 5-18 with the loss as she gave up 11 hits and nine runs, only two of which were earned, in six innings of work.

Eight different Aggies recorded hits in game one, with Fleming (2-5) and Quela Leonhardt (3-4) recording multiple hits. USU left 10 runners on base compared to two left on base for UCD.

Game two began with UC Davis drawing first blood with two runs in the top of the first. Vlahos then took matters into her own hands in USU’s half of the second as she smashed a three-run home run to straightaway center to give USU the 4-2 lead.

The Aggies of UC Davis then answered with four runs of their own in the top of the third as Megan Turman hit a three-run shot with two outs to put UCD back on top, 6-4.

Utah State failed to score in the bottom of the third, but managed five runs on four hits in the fourth to give it the lead for good. Vlahos once again provided the heroics with a double down the left field line that plated two Aggies. Hatch, Leonhardt and Schaible would add one more RBI each as USU took a 9-6 lead into the fifth inning.

UC Davis didn’t give up, though, scoring one in the fifth and another in the seventh, but the Aggie pitching combination of Heather Straight and Jessica Garnett kept things under control as USU squeaked out the win.

Straight improved to 4-7 with the win, while Lauren Pieretti fell to 0-5 with the loss.

Utah State is back in action next weekend at Pacific. The Aggies will play their final three-game series of the season beginning on Saturday.