SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Utah State softball (9-11) split its Friday games at the Silicon Valley Classic II as USU lost 2-0 to UC Davis (8-11) before posting a 6-2 victory over Santa Clara (11-15).
Senior catcher
Gabriella Jimenez, senior first baseman/right fielder
Bri Lerma and freshman third baseman
Claudia Medina led the Aggies with two hits each on Friday. Jimenez led USU with three RBIs, while junior first baseman
Makenzie Macfarlane led defensively with 10 putouts.
Utah State had a slow start on Friday as the USU Aggies did not record a hit in Game 1 against the UC Davis Aggies. Neither team scored through the first four innings, but a couple of UC Davis runs in the top of the fifth would lift the opposing Aggies to a 2-0 victory.
Freshman
Mia Reynolds made the start in the circle for USU, where she pitched for 5.0 innings and recorded four strikeouts and one walk. She was relieved by senior
Kapri Toone, who pitched for 2.0 innings.
It was a different story in Game 2 against Santa Clara as the USU Aggies scored six runs on eight hits and two Bronco errors.
SCU score a run in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead, but USU tied it up in the top of the third. The Aggies loaded the bases after sophomore left fielder
Libbie Hawker reached on a fielder's choice, Jimenez singled and senior shortstop
Lexi Orozco drew a walk. Sophomore second baseman
Zaia Castruita then scored Hawker with a sacrifice fly to center field to tie it at 1-each in the top of the frame.
Utah State took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth after loading the bases on singles from Lerma, Medina and junior center fielder
Mazie Macfarlane. Hawker then reached first on a fielder's choice that advanced
Mazie Macfarlane to second and Medina to third. Jimenez tripled to right center on the next at-bat to plate Medina,
Mazie Macfarlane and Hawker and give USU a three-run edge.
The Broncos scored one run in the bottom of the fifth to trim the Aggie advantage to 4-2.
Utah State responded in the top of the sixth with a couple more runs to take a 6-2 lead. USU again loaded the bases in the top of the frame after senior right fielder
Sydnee Smith reached on a throwing error, Medina singled through the left side and
Mazie Macfarlane drew a walk. Freshman
Taryn Edds came in as a pinch hitter and recorded a sacrifice fly to left field to bring home Smith. Medina then scored on a wild pitch to give the Aggies the four-run advantage.
Utah State held on through the final 1.5 innings for the 6-2 victory.
Toone made the start in the circle in Game 2 for the Aggies, pitching for 5.0 innings and posting two strikeouts. Toone was relieved by sophomore
Jessica Stewart for the final 2.0 innings, recording one strikeout during her time in the circle.
Utah State continues its run at the Silicon Valley Classic II on Saturday, March 12, as the Aggies take on UC Davis and San José State (13-8) in San Jose, California, at 11 a.m. (MT) and 1:30 p.m. (MT), respectively.
For more information on the Utah State softball program, follow the Aggies on Twitter at @USUSoftball, on Facebook at USUSoftball and on Instagram at ususoftball.
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