Box Score

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -

Utah State 7, UNLV 0

With the second shutout of the season, Utah State softball defeated UNLV on the road Saturday, securing the series win with a 7-0 victory over the Rebels.

Freshman pitcher Katie Schroeder made the start in Saturday's game, pitching the complete game. With the win, Schroeder improves to 5-1 in her debut season, recording her first-career shutout. On the day, Schroeder allowed six hits, striking out two batters and walking two. Senior designated player Noelle Johnson led the Aggies at the plate, going 3-of-4, including one double.

"This was a big win for us today to clinch the series," said USU head coach Steve Johnson. "Offensively, we did a great job working the zone and swinging at our pitches. We had a couple of big, clutch hits with runners on, and that's a big change from some of our losses early in the year. Defensively, Katie Schroeder threw a great game. To pitch a shutout in conference play is tough, but she hit her spots and let her defense work. Some of the routine plays we didn't make yesterday, we did today, and that's huge."

With the win, Utah State improves to 15-13 on the season with a 3-2 Mountain West record. The Rebels fall to 18-19 overall and 2-6 in league action.

Saturday's game started similarly to the day before, as senior catcher Kirstyn Namba led off with a walk. She advanced to second on a wild pitch and was able to score on a double from Johnson to give the Aggies the early lead. The Rebels also opened their inning with a walk, but the next three batters were putout. USU got one more runner on base in the top of the second with a walk, followed by a fielder's choice. Junior second baseman Kylie-Rose Dickson was caught stealing second to end the Aggies' half of the inning.

After a couple quiet innings, Utah State struck again in the top of the fourth. Junior outfielder and senior first baseman Libby Pederson hit back-to-back singles up the middle, forcing a pitching change for UNLV. Armendariz advanced to third on a fly ball, while freshman Mia Maher entered to run for Pederson and immediately stole second. Junior third baseman Victoria Saucedo then hit her second home run of the weekend, bringing the two other runners in and extending USU's lead.

The Aggies maintained their momentum through the fifth inning. Utah State loaded the bases early, with a single from Johnson, a double from Armendariz and a walk from Pederson. Jaramillo then reached on a fielder's choice, keeping the bags full while Johnson was out at the plate. Saucedo then drew a walk to bring Armendariz home and earn her fourth RBI of the day. A single from Dickson followed to score Jaramillo and Pederson and give the Aggies the 7-0 advantage.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Utah State defense came together perfectly to retire the Rebels in order. The Aggies followed with a sole hit from Johnson in the top of the sixth, before taking the first three UNLV batters out in the bottom half. UNLV made one last push in the bottom of the seventh, getting two runners on base and advancing the pair into scoring position. One last strikeout and a groundout ended the game though, giving the Aggies the shutout.

Utah State and UNLV will play on final game on Sunday, April 3. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. (MT).

Fans can follow the Aggie softball program on Twitter, @USUSoftball, on Facebook at /USUSoftball or on Instagram, @ususoftball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.