USU Softball Hits Four Home Runs in Doubleheader Split with Cal State Bakersfield Add Comment    Mar 08, 2011

USU Softball Hits Four Home Runs in Doubleheader Split with Cal State Bakersfield

Four different Aggie hit home runs as the Aggies split with Roadrunners, 9-6 and 4-3.

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - Utah State softball broke its six-game losing streak with a doubleheader split at Cal State Bakersfield Tuesday, winning the first 9-6 before dropping the second 4-3 in eight innings.

With the split the Aggies is not 4-13, while the Roadrunners are now 5-11.

In the first half of the doubleheader, Utah State started strong with two runs in the top of the first inning. Cal State Bakersfield starting pitcher Alyssa Walker got the first two outs of the inning. With two outs,  senior designated player Shasta Tyteca hit her first home run of the season to left center. Fellow senior shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro followed with another home run to left. The home run was her fifth of the season and Utah State-leading 27th home run of her career.

The Aggies added four more runs in the top of the second to take a commanding 6-0 lead. Utah State's power surge continued when junior second baseman Lindsey Marquez hit her first home run of the season. Senior outfielder Joreigh Landers then tripled down the right field line. With two outs, freshman outfielder Kassy Uchida singled to the pitcher and moved to second on an error that scored Landers. Sarah Hoag would replace Walker in the circle and give up a single to freshman outfielder Krista Bava that would put Uchida at third. Tyteca singled  and moved to second on another Roadrunner error that allowed Bava to score. Another Roadrunner error allowed the last run to give USU the 6-0 advantage.

Cal State Bakersfield cut the lead to 6-1 in the bottom of the second inning. With one out, Jazmine Lee walked. Myshayla Fryer doubled to left center to scored Lee and cut the lead down to 6-1.

USU bounced back, plating three runs in the top of the third inning. Junior first baseman Ashley Ventura got her second hit of the game with a double to right center. Freshman Annie Thomas came in to pinch run for Ventura and moved to third on a single to left by Marquez. Landers doubled to right to scored Thomas and move Marquez to third who would eventually score on a sacrifice bunt by freshman catcher Samantha Miller. Landers scored the fourth run of the inning when freshman outfielder Kassy Uchida singled up the middle to give USU a 9-1 lead.

The Roadrunners added single runs in both the third and fifth innings to cut the lead to 9-3. Cal State Bakersfield added a trio of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Kali Cancelosi relieved starting pitcher and fellow sophomore Mandy Harmon. Two of the three runs scored on a triple by Karissa Veiga and a throwing error by right fielder Uchida.

Harmon improved to 3-9 with the win.

In the second half of the doubleheader, it was the Roadrunners who got on the board first. Laura King drove in one run with a double down the right field line. Fryer's double plated another run to give Cal State Bakersfield the 2-0 lead. Neither of the runs allowed by starting pitcher junior Dani Chaplin were earned.

Utah State was kept off the scoreboard until the top of the seventh inning. Marquez registered her fourth hit of the game with a double to right center. Landers singled through the right side to score Marquez and cut the lead to 2-1.  With one out, sophomore Tina Ferguson flied out to center to move Landers to third with two outs.  Landers tied the score on a  wild pitch by Cal State Bakersfield starting pitcher Sammy Rodriguez.

It took the Aggies an extra frame to take the lead, scoring one run in the top of the eighth inning. Ventura continued her hot hitting with her second home run of the season to give USU the 3-2 lead.

The advantage was short lived as the Roadrunners scored two runs in the bottom half of the frame to earn the 4-3 win. The long ball was the downfall for USU in the eighth inning as Chaplin allowed back-to-back home runs to Jamie Miller and Ryane Petersen.

Despite allowing only two earned runs in seven innings pitched, Chaplin took the loss, falling to 0-2 this season.

The Aggies continue their longest road trip of the season with another doubleheader against Cal State Bakersfield on Wednesday, March 9 at 2 p.m. (MT).

Fans can follow USU softball on Twitter and Utah State Athletics at http://twitter.com/USUAthletics.

Article written by

Utah College Sports Wire