FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Utah State softball (19-14, 4-2 MW) used explosive offense to earn a pair of dominant victories and secure the series sweep over Colorado State Friday afternoon at CSU's Ram Field, first winning a 10-0 five-inning contest, then earning a 13-4 victory.
In total, the Aggies out-scored Colorado State by a combined 37-13 during the three-game series.
Game 1 - Utah State 10, Colorado State 0 (5 innings)
In the first game of the afternoon, Utah State needed just five innings to secure its third shutout victory of the season. The Aggies jumped out to an early lead recording their first run before their first out when a leadoff hit by pitch then a single was followed by an RBI single by senior outfielder
Olivia Marble, who brought senior infielder
Giselle Gonzalez around from second to score.
After a 1-2-3 stop in the bottom of the inning, USU tacked on four more runs in the second with a pair of home runs. First, it was senior infielder
Claudia Medina mashing her second home run of the year, a single shot down the right field line, then Gonzalez with her team-best 11th home run of the season, a three-run dinger scoring senior infielder
Ariel Fifita and sophomore outfielder
Tatum Silva.
In the third, USU's lone run came courtesy of an RBI single to center field by Silva. The Aggies then added on three more in the fourth with their third home run of the day, a shot over the left center field fence by junior infielder
Alex Bunton to make it 9-0. The 10th and final run of the day for Utah State came on a wild pitch which scored Fifita from third base.
In total, Utah State tallied 16 hits while limiting the Rams to just three. Junior right-hander
Emmalyn Brinka pitched the full five innings to earn the shutout, striking out three batters and giving up just three hits against 19 batters.
As a team, USU hit .552 (16-for-29) in the contest. Leading the Aggies at the plate was junior catcher
Grace Matej, who went 3-for-4 with a run scored. Seven Utah State batters recorded multiple hits, including a 2-for-4 effort with four RBIs and a run scored by Gonzalez and a 2-for-3 performance with three RBIs and two runs scored for Bunton.
Game 2 - Utah State 13, Colorado State 4
It took the Aggies a little bit longer to get things going in the second game of the day, as 12 of the team's 13 runs came in the final two innings. Utah State trailed for the majority of the contest after CSU opened up an early lead with an RBI single in the first inning. That was the only run scored by either side in the first two innings. The Aggies then answered in the third with an RBI fielder's choice by Fifita to bring pinch runner
Rylee Turlington across home plate, but the Rams jumped back in front in the bottom of the third with an RBI triple followed by an error to make it 4-1 for the hosts.
Following two more scoreless innings for both teams, Utah State found its hitting rhythm in the sixth. After the first two batters were retired, Matej stepped up to deliver a solo shot home run over the left field fence, her sixth of the year. That sparked the Aggies, who followed with a walk and a single to right field. Erickson then sent an RBI single down the right field line, followed by a Medina single to shortstop as USU gained its first lead of the contest.
With a 4-3 advantage, Utah State tacked on plenty of insurance in the seventh inning with a monster nine run performance. A walk then an error put runners on first and second, before Gonzalez cleared the bases with her second home run of the day, a moonshot well beyond the boundary in left field. The bases didn't stay empty for long, as the next three hitters found their way on with a double and two walks. An error on the throw to home for the force out resulted in an eighth run for USU as Matej came home.
Following the first out of the inning, Silva hit a 2-RBI single up the middle, then a double through the left side for Fifita brought another runner around the bags. A wild pitch soon after brought Silva home and moved Fifita to third, before a single by Gonzalez brought Fifita around to conclude USU's scoring. The Rams produced a run in the bottom of the inning, but Utah State secured the nine-run victory.
Utah State totaled 13 hits in the contest, nine of those coming in the final two innings. The Aggies went 13-for-35 (.371) at the plate with nine different players registering hits and Fifita, Matej and Pratt each hitting two. Gonzalez had a team-best four RBIs plus a run scored.
Junior right-hander
Denay Smith pitched all seven innings for the Aggies, allowing just three earned runs and eight hits while striking out four batters and facing 34 to earn her second win of the year.
Up Next
Utah State (19-14, 4-2 MW) will next travel to Ogden, Utah, for a single game against Weber State on Monday, March 31. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.
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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