March 15, 2001
FULLERTON, Calif. - USU's softball team was shutout by two of the nation's best teams Thursday as the Aggies fell to (#14) Notre Dame (6-0) and (#5)Oklahoma (8-0) during the opening day of the Cal State Fullerton-hosted Kia Klassic. The Aggies drop to 3-14 on the season.
Against Notre Dame it was a pitching dual for the first five innings as both teams were held scoreless. ND then exploded in the top of the sixth bringing in six runs on six hits. The Irish's Andria Bledsoe doubled with the bases loaded to bring in three runs. Bledsoe then score on a single by Lisa Mattison. Notre Dame drove in its final run of the inning as Alexis Madrid doubled to left center allowing Mattison to score.
The Aggies could not manage a hit in the final two innings and were shutout by a final score of 6-0. Notre Dame pitcher Kristin Schmidt improved to 7-1 on the season behind 13 Utah State strikeouts. Despite being held scoreless sophomore Stephanie Vasarhely led USU hitting a single-game season-best 2-for-3. Freshman Casey Smith and sophomore Eva DeJarnette also recorded hits in the game.
Defending national champion Oklahoma never let Utah State in the game as it scored eight runs in four innings and held the Aggies to just one hit in five innings of play. OU immediately got on the board scoring two runs in the first inning and three in the second to take an early 5-0 lead. The Sooners added to its lead in the fourth driving in three runs on three hits. With Utah State unable to get any runs across the plate in the fifth the game was ended after five.
Utah State will return to action tomorrow, March 16, when it concludes pool play with 7th-ranked Fresno State at noon. USU will also play a second game Friday with the time and opponent being determined at the conclusion of all pool play.
UTAH STATE 0, NOTRE DAME 6USU - 000 000 0 - 0 4 1ND - 000 006 0 - 6 9 0WP - Schmidt, ND, LP - Ramirez, USU, 2B - Madrid, Bledsoe, ND.
UTAH STATE 0, OKLAHOMA 8USU - 000 00 - 0 1 0OU - 230 3X - 8 7 0WP - Ratliff, OU, LP - Hommel, USU,
