May 6, 2014

Box Score

LOGAN, Utah - Despite a stellar day at the plate from junior outfielder Hailey Froton, the Utah State softball team was swept by Utah Tuesday at Utah Softball Stadium. The Utes took game one, 6-1, and won the second, 10-7, beating the hard rain, after showers fell throughout the twinbill.

USU is now 18-34 overall this season, while Utah improves to 28-24 overall. The Aggies have now lost seven-straight games.

Froton ended the day going 5-for-7 with six RBI in the two games with a double and a triple.

"We didn't make the adjustment in the first game to the Utah pitcher's change up, and Noelle missed too many spots hot. In the second game, we did a much better job coming back. We adjusted better and hit several change-ups, so we did a better job of making adjustments in the second game. We have to continue to get our lead offs on and put pressure on the defense. The innings where we got the lead off hitters on are the inning where we scored. We are still out there competing and working, and that is all we can do right now. We want to continue to get better and finish off the season this weekend," USU head coach Steve Johnson said.

Sophomore starting pitcher Noelle Johnson took the loss in the first game, falling to 16-19. Johnson added eight strikeouts to her season total and now has 211. She is just six away from tying Mary Lou Ramm-Flippen, who set the USU record with 217 strikeouts in 1980. Freshman Abby Indreland took the loss for USU in the second game and now holds a 2-7 record this season.

In the top of the second inning of the first game, Johnson drilled a one-out double to right center but was thrown out trying to extend the double to a triple. Utah's Sammy Cordova was able to get out of the inning without any runners crossing the plate.

Utah got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning with a pair of runs. Marissa Mendenhall started the frame with a double to left field. With one out in the inning, Shelby Pacheco brought home Mendenhall with another double to the left side of the field. With two outs, Kate Dickman drove home the second run with a single to center to put the Utes up 2-0.

The Aggies got one run back in the top of the fourth inning. Junior shortstop Jolene Koons and freshman Victoria Saucedo both started the inning with singles to right. Koons stole third to put runners on the corners and scored on a fielder's choice by Froton to cut the lead to 2-1.

The Utes stretched their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth inning with a trio of runs. The rally was led by a two-run home run by Bridget Castro, which was her seventh of the season. Utah added a run in the bottom of the sixth to seal the 6-1 win.

In game two, Utah wasted no time getting on the board, plating five in the bottom of the first inning off of game two starter Indreland. The Utes scored the five runs off of five first-inning hits and an Aggie error.

Junior Franny Vaaulu replaced Indreland in the second and allowed one as Utah took a 6-0 lead. The Aggies came storming back in the top of the third inning with four runs to trim the Ute advantage to 6-4. Senior second baseman Allison Lenzora started the inning with a hard-hit triple to right center. She came home to score on a single to center by sophomore outfielder Sarah Chow. Saucedo followed with a one-out single to put runners on first and third. Froton cleared the bases with a triple to cut the gap to 6-3. Johnson drove in the fourth run of the game with a double to center.

The Utah offense remained hot, scoring four runs in the last half of the third inning to take a 10-4 lead.

Utah State did not go down without a fight, scoring three in the top of the seventh inning. Chow started the inning with her second hit of the game, while Koons reached on an error. Saucedo loaded the bases with a single to left which was her second of the game. Froton drove home all three runs with a double to center, giving her five RBI in the game. USU would get no closer, ending the game down, 10-7.

For its final three games of the season, the Aggies will now resume Mountain West action when they head to Las Vegas, Nev. on Thursday-Saturday, May 8-10, for a three-game series with UNLV to wrap up not only Mountain West, but regular-season action as well. The Aggies and Rebels will square off at 7 p.m. (MT) on both Thursday, May 8 and Friday, May 9, before wrapping up the series and the season on Saturday, May 10 at 2 p.m.

Fans can keep up with all of the Aggie softball action at www.utahstateaggies.com. Follow Utah State athletics, including softball, at http://twitter.com/USUSoftball, as well as on facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/USUSoftball.