Utah State softball swept for third straight weekend
Utah State University softball was swept by San Jose State over the weekend — its ninth straight loss — and now finds itself just one game from bottom of the Mountain West conference standings.
The Spartans opened up the series with a 5-0 win Friday afternoon, and limited the Aggies to just three hits. Senior catcher Bailey Lewis was the first Utah State player to reach base with a hit in the second inning. Junior outfielder Ryann Holmes and freshman second baseman Kenzie Bolin both earned hits in the game and kept the Aggies close until the fourth inning. This was until the Spartans fought through the pitching of sophomore Delaney Hull and put its first two runs on the board. Hull’s counterpart, freshman pitcher Jenessa Ullegue, won her 14th game of the season and 12th complete game in 15 starts.
Saturday’s matchup proved to be a lot more competitive, in fact, the Aggies out-hit the Spartans eight to seven. But ultimately the Spartans were able to hold onto a 3-2 lead and grab the win from Utah State with a two-run sixth inning surge. But while the Aggies earned the loss, some of the bats shined on the day. Along with her two hits, sophomore third baseman Kennedy Hira scored the first run in the second inning, giving Utah State a 1-0 lead. Hira’s next plate appearance she doubled to left center, driving in senior first baseman Bailee Trapp. The Aggies sat 2-0 up going into the fifth, but freshman pitcher Kapri Toone couldn’t hold onto the lead and was pulled in the sixth for Hull who closed out the inning.
Utah State regressed Sunday to three hits on the day and unfortunately the Aggies couldn’t generate enough offense to pull out a win and Hull was handed her 12th loss of the season. Hira fared well at the plate again — hitting her fourth homer of the season and driving in all three runs — but her two hits accounted for over half of the the team’s hits and the Aggies weren’t able to produce enough offense to best the Spartans. A two-run home run secured the victory for San Jose State in the sixth inning and handed Utah State its 28th loss of the season.
With just one home series and six games left overall, the Aggies won’t be seeing a twenty-win season baring a deep postseason run. Sunday concluded with a 6-3 loss to the second-place Spartans, making it the fourth time Utah State has been swept this season. With a 4-16 conference record, the team is just one spot above 3-15 New Mexico at the bottom of the Mountain West.
Utah State has just a few more opportunities to make up some ground in the Mountain West standings. The team plays its final home series of the season, May 8-11, taking on conference foes San Diego State. But first on the schedule, the Aggies have two games against Utah Valley this weekend; a home and home series with the first game played Saturday in Orem.
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