SAN JOSE, Calif. – Utah State softball (22-15, 7-2 MW) opened a two-game road series against San José State with a shutout victory on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Spartans 5-0 at the Spartan Softball Complex. 
 
A heroic performance in the pitching circle from junior right-hander Emmalyn Brinka led the Aggies in the victory, as she allowed just two hits in a seven-inning shutout. Brinka threw 5.2 innings before allowing SJSU's first hit of the day, throwing five strikeouts with just a single batter walked. 
 
The first two innings went quickly, each team's first six hitters going down in order. Utah State found its groove in the third, scoring four of its five runs in the inning. First, it was senior outfielder Brooklyn Pritchett coming home on a fielder's choice by senior infielder Ariel Fifita after entering as a pinch runner. Then, after a walk and a second out on a fielder's choice, junior catcher Grace Matej delivered a 2-RBI single to left field to make it 3-0. Following another walk to load the bases, senior outfielder Kya Pratt was hit by a pitch to extend the lead by another run. 
 
Three Aggie runners were stranded in the third and two more were left on in the fifth, before USU brought another home in the sixth inning to cap off its scoring. A groundout for senior outfielder Olivia Marble brought senior infielder Claudia Medina around from third. 
 
In total, Utah State out-hit the Spartans 6-2, going .240 (6-for-25) at the plate. USU's six runs came from six different batters, with Matej bringing in a team-best two RBIs while going 1-for-2 and drawing two walks. 
 
Up Next
Utah State (22-15, 7-2 MW) will wrap its two-game series against the Spartans tomorrow at 1 p.m. (MT). The game will be streamed on the Mountain West Network. 
 
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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