April 27, 2008

Game one
Game two

LOGAN, Utah -- Another day, another doubleheader split for Northern Colorado's softball team against Utah State.

The Bears struggled in an 11-3 six-inning defeat in game one Sunday, April 27, but rebounded in game two and got their 13th win of the season after scoring two runs in the top of the eighth in a 5-3 extra-innings victory.

The 13 wins are the most for Northern Colorado since it began playing at the NCAA Division I level in 2004. The Bears now have five games remaining in 2008 to set that mark even higher, starting with a doubleheader tomorrow, Monday, April 28, against Utah Valley in Orem, Utah.

Northern Colorado (13-34) and Utah State (14-29) were tied at three after three innings in Sunday's second game, and the score stayed that way through the next four innings. Then, in the second extra-innings game in as many days for these teams, Northern Colorado senior Morgan Dahlman scored what would be the winning run when fellow senior Mackenzie Barrett smacked a double to right field, plating Dahlman and Hillarie Van Otterloo, who reached on a walk.

Kelli Henderson started the game in the circle for the Bears and she held the Aggies at bay in the bottom of the eighth to run her season record to 3-8. She walked eight Utah State batters in the win, but she was able to minimize the damage throughout by striking out three and allowing just two hits.

Van Otterloo, Barrett and Courtney Maihi all had two hits in the victory, and Maihi matched Barrett with two RBIs.

The first game started badly for the Bears. They found themselves down 8-0 after two innings, and it proved too much to overcome. Van Otterloo started in the circle for Northern Colorado, but she surrendered seven runs on six hits in just 1 2/3 innings. Jamie Juelfs relieved, but she had trouble, too.

Utah State freshman Kelley Kaneshiro tied an Aggies single-game record by smacking three home runs in the win.