Feb. 9, 2002

Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. - Utah State softball fell to Kansas and No. 17 Southwest Texas State in the second day of the Fiesta Bowl Tournament Saturday. USU (0-4) is playing in the tournament, hosted by Arizona State, in Tempe, Ariz., for the fourth consecutive year.

"We came miles today as a team," said head coach Debbie Bilbao. "We struggled in the Kansas game to control the two-out situations, but in the Southwest Texas game we had some great individual performances that kept us right in the game."

The Aggies lost to Kansas (1-2), 8-0, in the first game of the doubleheader. USU allowed five runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, and the game was called after the top of the fifth. Kansas held USU to just two hits, as freshman Kelly Leos and sophomore Casey Smith had identical 1-2 days. Smith also recorded her first stolen base of the year. Senior pitcher Kristen Hommel struck out three, walked three and gave up six runs, three earned, in her first loss of the season.

In the second game of the day, Southwest Texas State defeated the Aggies, 1-0. USU's freshman pitcher Lindsay Janssen allowed just one run on five hits in a complete game. She struck out nine and walked two. Shortstop Heather Curtis was 1-2 against Southwest Texas State with a double and a stolen base. Leos managed USU's other hit in the game, going 2-5 on the day.

"Lindsay Janssen did a phenomenal job today," Bilbao said. "She got out of some tremendous two-out situations, and Heather Curtis had some phenomenal plays for us on the field that were really crucial for our team. Kelly Leos also came through for us at the plate."

The Aggies face No. 2 UCLA in their final game of the 2002 Fiesta Bowl Tournament tomorrow at 9 a.m.

FIESTA BOWL TOURNAMENT, TEMPE, ARIZ.GAME 1Utah State  000 00   -  0   2   2Kansas      210 5x   -  8   7   0Hommel, Ramirez (4)  and B. Smith, Settlemeier and May.W-Settlemeier, 1-1. L-Hommel (0-1). HR-Kansas, Campbell.
GAME 2Southwest Texas State   001 000 0  -  1  5  1Utah State      000 000 0  -  0  2  1Neuerburg and Tomme, Janssen and B. Smith.W-Neuerberg, 1-3. L-Janssen, 0-2.