April 22, 2001
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - Looking to win two of three games from a conference opponent for the first time since defeating Cal Poly two games to one last year, Utah State's softball team fell just short losing 2-0 on Sunday as the Aggies were 1-2 on the weekend at Cal Poly.
After splitting a pair of games on Saturday, Utah State managed just two hits and committed three errors, while allowing five Cal Poly hits in Sunday's rubber game of the Big West series.
The Mustangs scored one run in the first off Aggie starter Kristin Hommel and added another run in the third off reliever Lisa Spencer to provide all of the scoring in the contest.
Hommel threw just one inning and while she didn't allow a hit in the eight batters she faced, she did walk three and was hurt by one error by her teammates before being pulled after facing one batter in the second inning. From there Lisa Spencer pitched five innings and allowed five hits, but just one run the rest of the way.
Meanwhile Mustang pitcher Terra Blankenbecler pitched a complete game shutting down the Aggies by allowing just two hits and walking just one. USU's only hits were a double by Breane Nickle and a single by Kara Tarbet in the fifth inning when USU mounted its main scoring threat.
Nickle led off the inning with her double and Stephanie Vaserhely was hit by a pitch before Tarbet's single loaded the bases with no outs. Amanda Carlson flied out to left field and Nickle was out at the plate trying to score for a double play. Markean Neal then ended the inning with a ground out to shortstop.
USU once again threatened in the seventh inning as with one out Nickle walked, but was put out on a fielder's choice by Vaserhely. With a runner on second, Tarbet's strikeout ended the game.
Utah State fell to 7-35 overall and 3-12 in the Big West, while Cal Poly improved to 21-26 overall and 5-10 in league play. USU will host Southern Utah on Wednesday, April 25 in a double header beginning at 2 p.m. before closing home play with a conference weekend against UC Santa Barbara. The Aggies and Gauchos will play a double header on Saturday, April 28 at 1 p.m. and a single game on Sunday, April 29 at 1 p.m.
USU will close the season with a three-game trip to Cal State Fullerton on May 5-6.
CAL POLY 2, UTAH STATE 0Utah State 000 000 0 - 0 2 3Cal Poly 101 000 X - 2 5 0
Hommel, Spencer (2) and Nickle. Blankenbecler and Uithoven. W - Blankenbecler (12-10). L - Hommel (1-17). LOB - USU 3, CP 6. 2B - Nickle (USU). 3B - Dalena (CP). SB - Sparrey (CP).
