USU Softball Tops Seton Hall, 7-4, To Earn Split At UNLV Classic Sunday
Feb. 18, 2007
LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Sophomore first baseman Aubrie Stroman drove in four runs to lead Utah State softball to a 7-4 win over Seton Hall Sunday afternoon at the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic at UNLV's Eller Media Stadium. USU bounced back to get a split for the day after getting run-ruled by 11th-ranked California, 13-1, in five innings earlier Sunday afternoon.
With the win, USU snapped a four-game losing skid and are now 3-5 on the year. It was the first-ever meeting between USU and Seton Hall.
"Seton Hall is a traditionally successful program and they played tough," USU head coach Candi Letts said. "We hit the ball hard today and we continue to swing the bats well. It was good for us to get a win today after losing earlier today and last night."
The Aggies hung a run in the top of the first, as freshman LF Amanda Grow led off with a double to center, and advanced to third on a sac bunt by freshman 2B Nicole Rupp. Junior 3B Amy Schaible plated Grow with a sac fly to right.
After Seton Hall tied it with a run in the bottom of the second, USU hung a four-spot in the third as Stroman laced a two-run double to left to score senior 1B Jamie Fife and junior SS Tara Evans. Junior C Heather Haak followed with an RBI single. After senior UT Charity Weston pinch-ran for Haak, but was called out for leaving early, junior RF Whitnie Ray walked and advanced to second on a single by Grow. Rupp then laced a single to center to score Ray, and Grow was thrown out at home to end the inning.
In the USU fifth, Schaible led off with a double to the gap in right center. Fife followed with a single to move Schaible to third. After Fife moved to second, Schaible was thrown out at home trying to score on the play. Stroman then followed with a two-run home run to right to put the Aggies ahead, 7-1. Seton Hall plated three runs in the bottom of the fifth for the final scoring.
Sophomore hurler Lindsey Benson went five and two-thirds to record the win, improving to 2-0 on the season, while senior Lauren Guzman pitched the final inning and a third to record her first save.
USU finished with 11 hits, as Stroman was 3-4 with four RBI, while Fife and Grow were both 2-3.
In Sunday's first action for USU, Cal batted around in the top of the first, hanging six runs on the board. In the bottom of the first, freshman CF Emily Reilly walked, then junior 3B Amy Schaible reached on an error, followed by senior RF Jamie Fife getting hit by a pitch. Junior SS Tara Evans followed with an RBI fielder's choice to plate Reilly and put the Aggies on the board.
Cal tacked on five more runs in the top of the second, chasing senior P Jessica Garnett from the circle. Senior P Jill Bruins came on in relief, yielding two runs in the fourth while giving up three hits.
Freshman LF Amanda Grow and sophomore 1B Aubrie Stroman were the only two USU players to get hits, as the Aggies were out-hit, 12-2.
Utah State lost to Portland State, 6-5, late Saturday night, as USU rallied with three runs, including a two-run home run from Reilly in the top of the seventh to tie the game, but Portland State's Laura Segall laced a two-out single to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.
The Aggies wrap-up Classic action by facing host UNLV at 2:30 p.m. (MT) Monday at UNLV's Eller Media Stadium and live stats are also available through GameTracker.
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