ST. GEORGE, Utah – Utah State softball (7-7, 0-0 MW) went 1-1 Sunday afternoon on its final day at the Utah Tech Classic, defeating Eastern Kentucky 3-2 before falling to host Utah Tech 3-2 at Karl Brooks Field in St. George.
In USU's win over the Colonels, it was a pair of Aggie home runs that made the difference. After allowing a run in the top of the second, Utah State answered as freshman catcher
Zereniti Sousa hit a sacrifice fly to bring in junior infielder
Giselle Gonzalez from third. Eastern Kentucky scored again in the third inning but had three runners stranded on base before a home run by sophomore infielder
Alex Bunton evened the game up at 2-2. This was Bunton's third home run of the season.
The score remained even until the bottom of the sixth, when Gonzalez cleared the center field fence with her team-best fifth home run of the season to give Utah State its first lead of the day. While the Colonels got a pair of runners on in the seventh, the Aggie defense held strong to secure the win.
Graduate pitcher
Katie Zuniga was awarded the win, pitching 4.2 innings while striking out five batters and not allowing a run. Senior
Jessica Stewart earned her first save of the season as she was responsible for the final out of the contest, while redshirt sophomore
Denay Smith started the game and threw 2.0 innings.
In the second game of the afternoon, the Aggies were tasked with fighting from behind throughout after a pair of first-inning runs by Utah Tech. Utah State found its first run of the contest in the fourth inning, when a single by sophomore outfielder
Kya Pratt snuck past the pitcher and into the outfield to bring senior outfielder
Ali Ashner around from second. The Trailblazers followed that with a home run in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1.
USU scored again in the fifth when an Ashner single scored freshman outfielder
Tatum Silva from second. Utah State had its chances, leaving five runners on base in the final three innings, but were unable to bring another run across to even things up.
Three Aggie pitchers saw time in the circle, as Stewart started and pitched the first 3.1 innings. She was replaced by sophomore
Tess Bumiller, then Smith took the mound for the final 1.2 innings. The three combined for six strikeouts.
Up Next
Utah State (7-7, 0-0 MW) now travels to California to take place in the Capital Classic. The Aggies will first face BYU and UC Davis in Davis, California, on Friday, March 1, at 1 p.m. (MT) and 3:30 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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