March 31, 2007

Box Score

FRESNO, Calif. - Western Athletic Conference action started a bit rough for Utah State softball, as the Aggies lost twice to defending regular-season champion Fresno State, 8-0 in five innings and 7-2, Saturday afternoon at a sundrenched Fresno State Bulldog Diamond.

It was USU's fifth straight loss as the Aggies are now 9-20 overall and 0-3 in WAC play, as Utah State lost to Fresno State, 8-0 in five innings Friday night.

Fresno State, who is among others receiving votes in both major polls, won its fourth in a row and eighth of its last nine in improving to 29-12 overall and 5-1 in WAC play.

This weekend was Utah State's first trip to Fresno since 1991, and the Aggies are now 1-7 in their last eight meetings with the Bulldogs and 11-18 all-time against their foes from Fresno.

Game One Recap

Senior CF Ashley Bellum led of the game with a walk and two batters later stole second. With two outs fellow senior, DP Jamie Fife laced a single to right and Bellum was thrown out at home to end the threat and the inning.

Utah State held Fresno State scoreless in the home half of the first, marking the first time the Aggies held the Bulldogs without a run in an inning for the weekend. In Friday night's 8-0 five inning loss, FS scored three in the first, one each in the second and third and three more in the fourth. Haley Perkins led off with a single, advanced to second on a sac bunt, but was left stranded after back-to-back flyouts, the last on a diving catch by freshman RF Emily Reilly.

The Bulldogs got on the board in the second frame, putting together a walk followed by a hit, followed by consecutive flyouts, the second a sac fly to right to plate one. That was followed by another walk and an RBI single by Perkins.

Bellum smacked a two-out single to right center in the top of the third, but couldn't advance.

In the bottom of the third, Fresno State's Kristin Sylvester led off with a deep drive to left center, but Bellum ran it down, making a fantastic backhanded snare at the fence.

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fourth, as the Bulldogs batted around, plating five runs off three hits and capitalizing on three walks and a hit batter in the inning, chasing senior starting pitcher Lexy Perry before sophomore Lindsey Benson came on in relief.

In the bottom of the fifth, FS loaded the bases on a walk and two singles. After a strikeout, Sylvester smacked a single deep behind second, where freshman 2B Nicole Rupp made a diving stop, but the Bulldogs scored on the play to score their eighth run and end the game due to the run rule.

Utah State had four hits off Fresno State pitcher Robin Mackin, three more than in Friday's game when Mackin limited the Aggies to just one hit. Mackin recorded six strikeouts, all swinging, while Perry and Benson had one K apiece for USU.

Game Two Recap

Bellum led off the game by getting hit by a pitch and moved to third two batters later, but was left stranded.

Fresno State copied USU in the home half of the first with its leadoff hitter, Perkins, getting plunked and later moving to second on a wild pitch and to third after tagging on a flyout to right and scoring on pitcher Merryann Barr's own-cause helping double to the gap in left center.

The Bulldogs tacked on another run in the third, stringing together two hits and taking advantage of a USU passed ball.

The Aggies snapped their four-game scoring drought in the top of the fourth frame, putting together a rally with three straight singles with senior RF Lauren Guzman hitting the third that scored Fife from second. USU's rally ended with the bases juiced.

Freshman pitcher Stacey Ellingsworth retired the side in order in the bottom of the fourth, the first time in the three-game series that the USU defense set the FS side down in order.

After the Aggies went three-up three-down in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs batted around in the bottom of the frame, hanging a five spot on the board by mixing five hits with a USU error and a walk.

Utah State again went down in order in the top of the sixth, and Fresno State loaded the bases in the home half of the stanza with only one out. Ellingsworth got out of the pickle with a strikeout and a groundout to thwart the threat.

Junior SS Tara Evans led of the USU seventh with a double down the left line and classmate 2B Whitnie Ray plated her with a single to center for the Aggies' second and final run of the game.

Utah State's home opener is Tuesday, April 3, when the Aggies take on in-state foe Utah Valley State in a non-conference twinbill starting at 2 p.m. (MT) at LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field. Admission to Tuesday's action and all of USU's home games at Johnson Field are free to the public.

-USU-