April 7, 2009

Box Score

LOGAN, Utah - Despite strong games from senior Aubrie Stroman and freshman Rayna Bradshaw, Utah State softball dropped a doubleheader to Utah at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field on Tuesday. The Utes captured game one 9-5, while taking the second game 8-2.

With the losses, the Aggies fall to 8-25, while the Utes improve to 16-21. USU will now return to Western Athletic Conference play where the Aggies are 1-5.

"For whatever reason as good as our pitching has been, they get here and they are tight and tense," USU head coach Candi Letts said. "They don't even understand why they do it. It is just automatic. When we go on the road, we are much more loose. When we went to Utah, we were pretty loose and playing hard. Doing the things we need to."

In the first game, the Utes came out swinging scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. Brooke Olson started the game with her second home run of the season. With one out, Staci Hemingway hit a shot to center for her third home run of the season to give Utah the 2-0. Whitney Holm Andrea Hoffman reached, and Andrea Hoffman reached on an error by first baseman Aubrie Stroman. With two on, Tia Palauni hit her second home run of the season.

The Aggies were able to cut the lead down to 5-2 in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, junior Nicole Rupp walked to start the inning. After a Rayna Bradshaw strikeout, freshman Jasmine Harris drilled a home run to right center. Harris now has 14 RBI which is tied for the team lead with fellow newcomer Rayna Bradshaw.

Utah State added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 6-2. Sophomore Megan McDonald singled to left center to start the inning. Harris was hit by a pitch to load the bases. On a Stroman, fielder's choice, McDonald was thrown out at home. When Simone Hubbard walked one run came across to score, and the other run crossed the when Jeanine Hernandez was hit by a pitch.

In the top of the fifth inning, Holm led off the inning with a triple to right center. After Clements struck out, Hoffman delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home Holm and give Utah a 8-2 lead. Utah would also score one final run in the top of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Utah State added one more run to cut the lead to 9-5. With two outs, Stroman got her second hit of the game with a double to left center. Hubbard was hit by a pitch and Hernandez singled to down the right field line. When Emily Reilly walked she drove in Stroman.

Junior Kate Greenough took the loss in the first game of the doubleheader and drops to 5-6. Junior Ashley Smuda defeated the Aggies for the third time this season and improved to 11-7 this season.

In the second game, the Aggies scored first in the bottom of the second inning. With two outs, Jeanine Hernandez walked and stole second. She went to third on a single by Emily Reilly. Hernandez came across the plate on a single by Gina Rawls. The RBI was her second of the season. Utah struck back in the top of the fifth inning with a pair of runs, when Kara Foster belted a two-run double to center, and then tacked on three more runs in the top of the sixth after Whitney Holm led off with the home run to left. A sac fly by Jasey Jensen plated another run and Sharee Fonoti laced an RBI double to center.

USU scored a run in the home half of the sixth when Hubbard drove in Bradshaw on a foul out sac fly down the leftfield line.

The Utes blew the game open with three runs in the top of the seventh, as Hannah Clements blasted a three-run homer to right center off the scoreboard.

McDonald and Bradshaw had singles in the bottom of the seventh to spark the Aggies' rally and Harris followed with a walk to load the bases, but a ground out ended the threat and the game.

In the two games, Stroman had two hits, while Bradshaw had three hits and two runs scored. Jasmine Harris also came through with her team-leading sixth home run of the season.

The Aggies now make the long trip to Honolulu for a three-game WAC series with Hawai`i Friday and Saturday, April 10-11. USU is back home for a non-conference twinbill with in-state foe Utah Valley on Tuesday, April 14. Admission to all home Aggie softball games is free to the public.

Game OneTeam        R   H   EUtah        9   13  0Utah State  5   6   3
Game TwoTeam        R   H   EUtah        8   12  2Utah State  2   10  0