ATHENS, Ga. – Utah State softball (8-6, 0-0 MW) split a pair of games against Power 5 opposition on the second day of the Georgia Classic at Jack Turner Softball Stadium on Saturday, beating Seton Hall 8-3 before a 11-2 five-inning defeat against No. 12 Georgia.
Utah State 8, Seton Hall 3
In the first game of the day, Utah State was locked in a tight game with Seton Hall before breaking the game open with a seven-run fifth inning in an 8-3 win.
After a morning weather delay, USU got on the board in the opening frame with senior outfielder
Kya Pratt's two-out, RBI single that drove in sophomore outfielder
Faith Kroening. USU held the one-run advantage until the bottom of the fourth inning, when Seton Hall tied the game with a two-out, RBI single of their own.
In the pivotal fifth inning, the Aggies scored seven runs with a ferocious two-out rally. Senior catcher
Grace Matej kept the inning alive with a two-out single and was brought home by senior infielder
Alex Bunton's two-run home run, her second of the season, to left field. Pratt added a double, scoring as freshman infielder
Jazmin Ramirez reached base on a Pirate error. After two walks, senior infielder
Kenzee Olsen launched a grand slam to left field, collecting her first career home run and RBIs, while staking the Aggies to a seven-run lead. Seton Hall drew closer with a two-run home run in the seventh inning, but the Aggies closed out the 8-3 victory.
Senior
Emmalyn Brinka started in the circle for the Aggies and earned the win with 6.0 innings pitched and three earned runs allowed. Freshman
Kendall Cochran pitched 1.0 scoreless innings to seal the win.
Utah State 2, No. 12 Georgia 11 (5)
In the nightcap, Utah State couldn't contain No. 12 Georgia's offense in the early innings and fell 11-2 in five innings in the second game of the weekend between the two teams.
After being held by the Aggie pitching staff to just four singles on Friday, the Bulldogs scored nine runs on eight hits in the first two innings. A leadoff home run and a two-out, two-run single staked Georgia to a 3-0 lead after the first inning. In the second, a string of walks and infield hits was punctuated by a one-out grand slam, giving the Bulldogs a 9-0 advantage.
Utah State's bats woke up in the fourth, as Kroening led off the inning with a double down the right-field line and Matej followed with a single. Pratt brought the pair home with a one-out double, a line drive just past the second baseman's glove and into the gap in right-center. In the bottom of the frame, Georgia hit a solo home run and an RBI single to reclaim their nine-run advantage. USU couldn't narrow the deficit in the top of the fifth, giving Georgia an 11-2, run-rule victory.
Freshman
Jordyn Lish started for the Aggies, allowing three earned runs in 0.2 innings pitched. Senior right-hander Sydney Saldaña came on in relief and pitched 0.2 innings with five earned runs. Senior
Carly Limosnero pitched the next 2.0 innings, allowing three earned runs, before Cochran pitched a scoreless final 0.2 innings.
UP NEXT
Utah State will wrap up play tomorrow at the Georgia Classic in Athens, Georgia. The Aggies will face off with Seton Hall for the second time this weekend at 8:30 a.m. (MT).
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-
