April 15, 2011

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LOGAN, Utah - - Sophomore pitcher Mandy Harmon got out of the third bases-loaded jam of the day in the top of the seventh to preserve Utah State's 4-3 win over Boise State Friday afternoon at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field. It was the Aggies' first-ever win over the Broncos, who are in their third season of having softball, and BSU had beaten USU in the previous six meetings.

The win was Utah State's third in its last four Western Athletic Conference games, improving to 3-7 in WAC play, 8-34 overall, while Boise State is 25-14 overall and 8-2 in WAC play. The Broncos entered the weekend tied with New Mexico State atop the WAC standings, but fell a game back with the loss coupled with NMSU's 7-3 win at Nevada.

Sophomore catcher Tina Ferguson was 2-for-3 with an RBI, while freshman outfielder Kassy Uchida was 2-for-4. Ferguson has hit safely in seven of the Aggies' last eight games, having her six-game hitting streak halted in Wednesday's loss to Idaho State. Uchida is now hitting .429 in WAC games, while Ferguson's conference game average is now .407. Friday was Uchida's team-leading 11th multi-hit game and now has a five-game hitting streak, while freshman designated player Krista Bava and junior second baseman Lindsey Marquez also had hits Friday to join Uchida with five-game hitting streaks, the longest active on the team.

After a scoreless two and a half innings, the Aggies hung three runs on the board in the home half of the third, as senior infielder Kelley Kaneshiro led off with a double to left, USU's lone extra base hit of the game. Three batters later, senior outfielder Joreigh Landers walked and Bava singled to right to plate Kaneshiro. Ferguson followed with a single to left to plate Landers, then junior second baseman Lindsey Marquez laced a single to right to score Bava for USU's third run of the frame.

Boise State scored two runs in the top of the fourth, and could have scored more but sophomore starting pitcher Shelbi Tyteca got out of a bases-loaded jam. Holly Bourke started the rally with a bunt single, and Mackenzie Whyte reached on a fielder's choice and an error, before Allie Crump followed with a double to center to score Bourke. Devon Bridges plated Whyte by reaching on an error to deep second. After a fly out and a strikeout, Kelly Sweeney drew a walk to load the bases, but Tyteca got Tazz Weatherly to fly out to left to end the threat and leave the score at 3-2 in USU's favor.

The Broncos tied the game with a run in the visitor's fifth, as Whyte laced a double down the left field line to score Kellie Caplan who reached on a bunt single and moved to second on sac bunt by Bourke. Whyte was the last batter that Tyteca faced, as Harmon came on in relief, and followed with back-to-back walks to Crump and Bridges to load the bases with only one out. Vanessa Alvarez followed with a fielder's choice to shortstop, where freshman Allison Lenzora was roaming and threw out Whyte at home for out number two. Christina Capobianco pushed the count to full from Harmon before the Aggie righthander fired a called strike three to end the rally and leave the bases full of Broncos again and the scoreboard reading 3-all.

In the home half of the fifth frame, Bava walked and Ferguson followed with a bunt single, which chased Crump from the pitcher's mound. Lela Work came on in relief, and Marquez greeted her with a sac bunt to move Bava and Ferguson up a base. With Lenzora at the plate, Work fired a wild pitch to score Bava with what proved to be the winning run.

BSU and USU both went down in order in the sixth innings, setting up the seventh frame drama. Bourke led off with a single to right center and Whyte followed with a single to right. After Crump grounded out, Bridges drew a walk from Harmon to again make the bases full of Broncos. Harmon then got Alvarez to pop out to junior third baseman Tatem Day for the second out and then got Work to ground out to Harmon, who threw to Kaneshiro at first for the third out and thwart the threat, leaving the bases full for the third time in the game, and give the Aggies their monumental win over the Broncos.

The teams return to the diamond on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. MT. Saturday is Local Heroes where the Aggie softball team will honor local servicemen.

Fans can follow USU softball on Twitter and Utah State Athletics at http://twitter.com/USUAthletics.