April 7, 2001
STOCKTON, Calif. - Despite out-hitting Pacific in the second game Utah State dropped a pair of Big West Conference contests against the 18th-ranked team in the country falling 7-0 and 3-1 at Pacific on Saturday.
In the first game Pacific pitcher Cindy Ball threw a two-hit shutout against the Aggies. USU's only hits were two infield singles by Danielle Rodriguez and Marnie Andrews. The Aggies committed three errors in the field and couldn't take advantage of getting leadoff runners on base in the fifth and sixth innings.
Pacific scored three of its seven runs in the game with two outs as the Aggies had a difficult time finishing their innings in the field. Aggie freshman Lisa Spencer went the distance for USU, but allowed nine hits and walked six in dropping to 4-8 on the year.
In the second game, Aggie starting pitcher Kristin Hommel walked six of the nine batters she faced, including the last three before being relieved by Xochiti Ramirez in the second inning. Trailing 2-0 after a 25-minute rain-delay in the third inning, the Aggies returned to the field and scored quickly as Casey Smith doubled and two batters later was plated on a Shannon Acevedo double.
USU left the bases loaded in the fourth inning as Smith ripped a shot down the left side that was caught by the third baseman to end the threat. USU threatened again in the seventh inning as Heather Curtis led off with a single and a Smith hit her second double of the game to give the Aggies runners at second and third with no outs. However Cindy Ball retired the next three USU hitters to end the game.
In all, USU out-hit Pacific 8-3 in the second game, but allowed 13 walks and couldn't recover from the free passes.
USU and Paciific will finish the three-game series with a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. (MDT).
GAME 1 - PACIFIC 7, UTAH STATE 0USU 000 000 0 0-2-3UOP 022 021 X 7-9-0Spencer and Nickle. Ball and Lowry. W - Ball (21-4). L - Spencer (4-8). LOB - USU 5, UOP 10. 2B - Lowry (UOP). SB - Rodriguez (USU).
GAME 2 - PACIFIC 3, UTAH STATE 1USU 001 000 0 1-8-2UOP 020 001 x 3-3-2Hommel, Ramirez (2) and Nickle. Dacre, Ball (7) and Reynolds. W - Dacre (14-2). L - Hommel (1-13). S - Ball (4). LOB - USU (9), UOP (13). 2B - Smith (USU), Acevedo (USU), Ratajczak (UOP). SB - Ratajczak (UOP), Barcklay (UOP), Kading (UOP).
