Feb. 24, 2007

Box Score

ST. GEORGE, Utah - Southern Utah's Invitational was not very inviting for Utah State softball, as the Aggies lost both games, being edged by Utah Valley State, 2-1, and doubled up by Southern Utah, 8-4. USU went 1-4 at the SUU Invitational and the Aggies are now 4-10 overall on the year.

The double-round-robin Southern Utah Invitational was originally scheduled for Cedar City, but was moved to St. George, Utah and will be held at the Karl Brooks Field on the campus of Dixie State College due to weather.

UVSC plated two runs in the home half of the first to take a 2-0 lead. USU scored its run in the top of the fourth, as senior DP Jamie Fife belted a solo home run.

The Aggies loaded the bases in the sixth, but couldn't plate any runs, leaving six runners on base for the game.

Four USU players had hits, as Fife was 1-3, as was freshman 2B Nicole Rupp, junior 3B Amy Schaible and freshman SS Tara Evans.

Freshman pitcher Stacey Ellingsworth took the loss, going five and third, while yielding seven hits and two earned runs while striking out four. Ellingsworth is now 1-5 on the year.

In the second game, USU took a 3-0 lead after two innings as Rupp scored in the first inning on a double-steal. In the second, senior C Jami Uragami hit a two-run single to score Evans and sophomore 1B Aubrie Stroman.

Southern Utah scored two runs in the top of the third before USU countered with a run in the bottom of the inning as freshman OF Amanda Grow scored on a wild pitch to put the Aggies ahead 4-2.

That would be the last USU run as Southern Utah plated two in the fourth, fifth and seventh innings to take the 8-4 win.

USU had its chances to score runs, as they again left the bases loaded in the fourth and fifth innings, and a running in the sixth and seventh innings.

Grow was 2-2, while Stroman was 2-3, while Evans and senior DP Jessica Garnett were each 1-4 and Uragami was 1-3.

Sophomore Lindsey Benson got the loss going four and a third, while giving up nine hits and six runs, four of them earned, while logging four strikeouts.

Utah State takes a small break from tournament play, facing Northern Colorado in a four-game, two-day series on Thursday and Friday, March 1-2. On Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, head coach Candi Letts leads the Aggies into her old stomping grounds playing in the Colorado State Tournament at Fort Collins, Colo.