LOGAN, Utah – Utah State softball (12-15) finished its home-opening Aggie Classic with a pair of wins against Maine (2-19) and a couple of losses to Idaho State (16-14) over the two-day tournament at LaRee & LeGrand Johnson Field.
 
Senior shortstop/first baseman Lexi Orozco led the Aggies over the weekend with seven hits, six RBIs and seven assists.
 
The Aggies earned the 8-7 extra-inning victory over the Black Bears on Friday. Utah State then played the first five innings of its game against Idaho State before the game was postponed to Saturday due to darkness.
 
USU got things started on Saturday with a 7-3 victory against Maine.
 
Freshman left fielder Claire Raley struck out but reached first on an error from the Black Bears' catcher. Raley stole second and advanced to third on a USU ground out. She made it the last 60 feet on a passed ball to give USU a 1-0 lead at the end of the first.
 
Raley once again scored in the bottom of the third to put the Aggies ahead 2-0. The freshman drew a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and took third on a USU ground out. Sophomore second baseman Zaia Castruita then brought Raley home with a bunt single.
 
Utah State scored five runs in the bottom of the fifth to extend its lead to 7-0. The Aggies loaded the bases to start things off after senior first baseman Bri Lerma was hit by a pitch, while junior catcher Makenzie Macfarlane and freshman third baseman Claudia Medina each drew a walk. Junior Tyler Thornton, who came in as a pinch runner for Macfarlane, and Lerma scored after junior center fielder Mazie Macfarlane doubled down the left field line.
 
Raley tripled to right center to score Medina and Mazie Macfarlane. She then scored on an Orozco RBI single to left field to give USU the 7-0 edge at the end of the fourth.
 
After Maine scored three runs in the top of the sixth, freshman pitcher Mia Reynolds entered the circle for the Aggies and put away five straight batters over the sixth and seventh innings to secure the 7-3 USU victory.
 
Senior Kapri Toone made the start for Utah State in the circle, where she pitched for 5.1 innings and struck out two Black Bear batters. Reynolds had one strikeout in her 1.2 innings of work.
 
USU and ISU then played the final two innings of the postponed Friday game as the Bengals held an 8-5 lead heading into the sixth and scored four runs in the frame for the 12-5 edge.
 
The Aggies scored one final run in the bottom of the seventh after Orozco doubled down the left field line and scored on a Castruita RBI single to right center. Idaho State won the game 12-6.
 
Three Aggie pitchers saw time in the circle in the first game against the Bengals as Toone made the start, recording one strikeout in her 2.2 innings of work. She was relieved by junior Alyssa Millemon, who struck out three ISU batters and walked one in her 2.2 innings pitched. Sophomore Jessica Stewart pitched the final 1.2 innings, recording two strikeouts.
 
Utah State and Idaho State then played the final game of the Aggie Classic on Saturday afternoon.
 
Raley once again got the scoring started for the Aggies in the bottom of the first after she singled to right center, stole second and advanced to third on a USU ground out. Castruita scored Raley after recording a single through the right side to give Utah State a 1-0 lead at the end of the first.
 
Idaho State evened things up with a run in the top of the third before taking a 6-1 lead after scoring four runs in the top of the fifth and one in the top of the sixth.
 
Castruita scored the final run of the day after she doubled down the left field line, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Bengal error. That would be it for Utah State as Idaho State held on for the 6-2 win.
 
Reynolds made the start in the circle for the Aggies, pitching 4.1 innings and striking out three ISU batters. She was relieved by junior Nya Laing who faced the final three batters in the top of the fifth. Stewart pitched the final two innings, recording two strikeouts.
 
Utah State next hosts Utah Valley (10-9) on Wednesday, March 23, at 3 p.m., at LaRee & LeGrand Johnson Field.
 
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.
 
– USU –