LA JOLLA, Calif. - Utah State softball (7-10) split its Saturday games at the San Diego Classic as the Aggies won 6-5 against Boston University (6-10) before losing 5-4 to UC San Diego (9-10).
Utah State was led by senior first baseman
Lexi Orozco with three hits and three RBIs on the day. Defensively, senior catcher
Gabriella Jimenez led the Aggies with 13 putouts and two assists.
Boston took an early 2-0 lead after scoring a run in both the bottom of the second and the bottom of the third in Game 1 on Saturday.
Orozco got the scoring started for the Aggies in the top of the fourth as she doubled to right center before advancing to third on a passed ball and scoring on a throwing error as Utah State trailed 2-1.
USU tied it up 2-2 in the top of the sixth. Sophomore left fielder
Libbie Hawker drew a walk, advanced to second on a ground out and took third on a wild pitch. With the bases loaded after Orozco and freshman shortstop
Ariel Lopez drew walks, freshman designated player
Taryn Edds was hit by a pitch to plate Hawker.
The Terriers scored two runs in the bottom of the frame to lead 4-2 heading into the seventh.
After a USU fly out, freshman third baseman
Claudia Medina doubled to right center and advanced to third after junior center fielder
Mazie Macfarlane singled through the left side in the top of the seventh. Macfarlane advanced to second on an Aggie ground out.
A fielding error by Boston's shortstop brought home Medina and Macfarlane as Jimenez reached first. Orozco drew a walk to send Jimenez to second. Lopez singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw as Jimenez scored. A ground out ended the top of the inning for the Aggies as USU led 5-4.
Boston University scored one run in the bottom of the frame to tie it at 5-5 and force extra innings.
Senior
Sydnee Smith was placed on second in the top of the eighth. A sacrifice bunt from senior right fielder
Bri Lerma advanced Smith to third. In the next at-bat, sophomore second baseman
Zaia Castruita had a sacrifice fly to center field to score Smith as the Aggies led 6-5 heading into the bottom of the inning.
The Terriers also advanced their runner to third on a sacrifice bunt, but the game ended in the next at-bat on a 5-3-2 double play.
Senior
Kapri Toone made the start in the circle for the Aggies, where she pitched for 6.0 innings and had two strikeouts and two walks. She was relieved by sophomore
Jessica Stewart, who pitched for 2.0 innings and had one walk.
USU trailed 3-0 early in Game 2 against UC San Diego as the Tritons scored three runs in the bottom of the first.
A leadoff home run to left field from Jimenez in the top of the fourth put the Aggies on the board as USU trailed 3-1.
Utah State scored three more runs in the top of the fifth to take the 4-3 lead. Macfarlane drew a walk and stole second. Hawker and Jimenez also drew walks to load the bases. Orozco stepped up to the plate and doubled to right center to score Macfarlane, Hawker and Jimenez and give USU the 4-3 edge.
UC San Diego responded with two runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth as the Tritons held on for the 5-4 win.
Junior
Nya Laing made the start in the circle for the Aggies, where she had one strikeout and two walks in her 1.0 innings pitched. She was relieved by freshman
Mia Reynolds, who pitched for 4.2 innings and had six strikeouts and two walks. Stewart came in for the final 0.1 innings and had one walk.
Utah State wraps up the San Diego Classic on Sunday, March 6, as the Aggies take on Yale (2-2) at 10:30 a.m. (MT), at Triton Softball 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.
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