USU wins one against Nevada
Utah State opened the home conference schedule against Nevada, losing a doubleheader Friday and taking the third game Saturday.
Nevada 8, USU 7
The Utah State softball team couldn’t hold a late lead against the Nevada Wolf Pack, dropping the first game of a doubleheader 8-7 in nine innings at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field on Friday.
The Aggies took the lead early in the bottom of the first inning when senior designated player Kelly Kaneshiro singled home sophomore outfielder Kassandra Uchida. Shortly after, freshman outfielder Hailey Fronton homered to left center, putting the Aggies up 4-0 going into the second inning.
The lead was short-lived when Nevada’s bats came to life at the top of the second, taking advantage of three hits and a fielding error by Utah State pitcher Mandy Harmon to tie the game at 4-4.
Nevada earned 11 hits and scored eight runs off of Harmon, who pitched all nine innings for USU. She recorded five strikeouts and forced 13 groundouts by the Wolf Pack, but Nevada took advantage of its extra base hits, including solo home runs by catcher Chelsea Venable in the top of the fifth and first baseman Lauren Lastrapes in the top of the seventh.
The Aggies had a one-run lead going into the top of the seventh before Lastrapes’ home run forced extra innings. Nevada scored in the top of the ninth and held on to secure its 11th win of the season.
Senior right-hander Mallary Darby was in the circle for Nevada. Darby gave up 10 hits and seven runs through four and a half innings before she was replaced by sophomore Karlyn Jones. Jones gave up one hit facing her first batter but then retired the next 15 in a row.
Nevada 3, USU 1
Though the Aggies didn’t commit a single error in game two of the twin bill, their bats couldn’t get the offense going. USU scored one run on five hits. Junior transfer Christine Thomsen generated USU’s only offense of the game with a solo shot that hit the scoreboard.
“The girls are being aggressive,” USU head coach Carissa Millsap-Kalaba said. “They are going after strikes. They are pushing, and they want to win. You can tell they want to win. They are trying to create positive energy. They definitely took the opportunity, that’s for sure.”
Senior ace Dani Chaplin gave up three runs on five hits and pitched a complete game.
“I think our pitchers did a real good job of handling all their hitters, even the base hits – they’re not shots besides the couple home runs in the first game,” Millsap-Kalaba said. “I think Dani did a good job. The balls weren’t hit hard. I thought both the pitchers handled the batters really well.”
Nevada did most of its damage in the top half of the sixth inning. USU retired the first two batters of the inning before Nevada made a two-out rally. Megan Fincher drove in Sara Parsons with a shot up the middle that made its way to the wall.
Freshman Emily Seidel drove in the insurance run as she reached first base safely on an infield hit.
Nevada sophomore pitcher Bailey Brewer earned the win, allowing one run on four hits, and Jones, who earned a win in the first game, struck out two batters and allowed one hit in a little more than one inning of work to earn the save.
“I think, because we were doing so well, we were excited to keep hitting, so we got a little anxious,” said Thomsen, who finished with four RBIs.
USU 4, Nevada 0
A day after the Nevada Wolf Pack swept a doubleheader from the Utah State softball team, the Aggies avoided a season sweep with a 4-0 win at Johnson Field Saturday afternoon.
Harmon, who threw a complete-game shutout against Louisiana Tech in the Aggies’ WAC opener, threw her second complete-game shutout of the season allowing Nevada three hits on the day.
“She did a really good job hitting her spots,” Millsap-Kalaba said. “She really carried us throughout the entire game. She managed to battle through and persevere. She handled herself very maturely. I’m really proud of her.”
Sophomore catcher Samantha Miller led off the bottom of the third inning with a single back up the middle and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from fellow sophomore Christina Cummings.
Thomsen laced an RBI single to left field to drive in Miller for the first run of the game.
Nevada threatened to end Harmon’s shutout attempt several times, but USU came up with clutch defensive plays to keep the shutout alive.
“I have to give my shutout to my defense,” Harmon said. “They kept me in that game. There were errors but they made up for it with three humungous plays, and that kept me mentally and physically into the game.”
Harmon found herself in a bases-loaded jam in the top half of the fifth inning, but the Aggies came up big defensively to end the inning.
Nevada second baseman Caylin Campbell lined out to Tatem Day at third base, and the senior was able to tag out Seidel for the inning-ending double play.
USU tacked on insurance in the bottom of the fourth, adding two more in the bottom of the fifth.
Harmon picked up an RBI on a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning before Uchida hit a solo home run to lead off the fifth inning. Froton drove in Thomsen for USU’s fourth run.
The series brings Utah State to 10-22 and 3-3 in WAC play.
The Aggies face Utah Valley on April 3 in Orem.
– ty.d.hus@aggiemail.usu.edu,
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