Feb. 16, 2006

LAS VEGAS - Utah State's softball team opened the Louisville Slugger Classic with a 7-5 loss against UC Davis here on Thursday night. The loss dropped the Aggies to 1-6 overall and was their fourth straight defeat. UC Davis improves to 2-3 overall with the win.

UC Davis jumped out to an early lead thanks to a one-out home run by Ashley Johnson in the bottom of the first. The California Aggies would add another run to take a 2-0 lead.

Utah State answered back in the top of the second when Tara Evans hit an RBI double scoring Whitnie Ray. The Aggies plated another run thanks to a wild pitch by Rachel Kelly, and left the inning in a 2-2 tie.

UC Davis would add a run in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Utah State throwing error to regain the lead. However, it was short-lived as Quela Leonhardt singled home Amy Schaible in the top of the third to bring the game to a 3-3 tie.

UC Davis responded yet again as it strung together three hits and stole two bases against pitcher Leslie Higley, leaving the inning with a three-run lead.

Jeanine Hernandez cut the deficit to two as she lead-off the fifth inning with her first home run of the season, but the Aggies could not overcome the deficit as they failed to manage another hit the rest of the game.

Utah State was led by Leonhardt who went 2-4 with an RBI, and Schaible who also had a two-hit game.

Higley dropped to 0-3 with the loss as she gave up six earned runs on seven hits in just four innings, including two home runs to Johnson. Kelly pitched just two innings but got the win, improving her record to 2-1. Lindsay Tognetti got her first save of the season as she relieved Kelly in the third and went on to pitch five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.

The Aggies will return to action Saturday at the Desert Classic with games against Portland State at 2:30 p.m. and 18th-ranked Oregon at 4:45 p.m. Utah State will conclude the tournament against Illinois and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday.