April 5, 2008

Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

LOGAN, Utah - Utah State softball rallied for two thrilling come-from-behind wins against Western Athletic Conference foe San Jose State winning, 8-6 and 11-10, on Saturday at a chilly LaRee and LeGrand Johnson Field.

USU moves to 10-21 overall and earned its first conference wins of the year, improving to 2-6 in WAC action. SJSU falls to 21-22 on the year and evens its conference record at 3-3. The Aggies also snapped a two-game losing skid to the Spartans as they are now 23-21 in the all-time series.

The Aggies were down, 6-2, in game one before they climbed their way out scoring six runs on six hits and senior 3B Amy Schaible tallied the seventh run of the day on a sacrifice fly by freshman RF Megan McDonald and freshman C Shasta Tyteca belted her first home run of the season over the center field fence for the extra security run.

Game two saw USU load the bases three times in the seventh with sophomore LF Mikey Price earning a two-out bases loaded walk as Tyteca scored the 11th run for the Aggies to nab their second win of the day.

San Jose State scored in the first inning to start off the first game and then added two more runs in the third to go up, 3-0. The Aggies scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, as junior 2B Aubrie Stroman walked to lead off the inning, junior DP Kayla Dunn singled to right and senior 3B Amy Schaible walked to load the bases. Tyteca tallied two RBI on a double to right center bringing in freshman PR Jessica Law and Dunn. The Spartans responded with three more runs in the top of the fifth to take a 6-2 lead.

USU responded in the bottom of the fifth, tallying six runs on six hits. Price and freshman SS Kelley Kaneshiro sparked the Aggie rally in the fifth with two singles and Stroman reached first on an error by the rightfielder which allowed Price to score. Kaneshiro and Stroman were brought in on a double by Dunn, while senior PR Tara Evans scored on a Schaible single to tie up the game at 6-all. Schaible and Tyteca had the final scores for the Aggies.

Utah State found themselves with an 8-6 lead on Friday before allowing SJSU to score eight runs in the top of the seventh but junior P Lindsey Benson made sure it didn't happen Saturday as she retired the side in the sixth and the seventh to give the Aggies the win.

USU scored the first run of the second game in the first as Price doubled to left center and scored on a Kaneshiro double to right center before Stroman and Dunn grounded out and popped out, respectively to SJSU's shortstop to end the inning. San Jose State quickly scored six runs in the next two innings and USU scored four runs on five hits in the home half of the fourth to come within one run at, 6-5. Kaneshiro and Stroman both singled to start off the fourth and were brought in after Dunn belted her third home run of the season. Schaible followed with a single and scored a sacrifice fly by junior 2B Jeanine Hernandez.

The Spartans tacked on three more runs in the visitor half of the fifth and added their 10th run of the game in the seventh, while the Aggies fought back in their last at-bat of the day, scoring six runs on five hits. Reilly led off with a single to second as Price walked and Kaneshiro laced a single to center to bring in Reilly. Price scored on a Stroman single, as Dunn walked to load the bases and Schaible doubled to score Kaneshiro and Stroman. Tyteca walk to load the bases again, while Dunn tied up the game scoring on a Hernanez single. Price earned a two-out base on balls and Tyteca scored the game-winning run.

Benson picked up both wins and moved to 9-14 overall. Jennifer Ames took both losses for SJSU and falls to 4-5 on the season.

USU was led by Dunn and Tyteca as both had 4-for-6 efforts at the plate for the afternoon. Dunn scored three runs on the day and added five RBI, while Tyteca scored two runs and tallied three RBI. Kaneshiro keeps her hitting streak alive and has safely had a hit in the last 13 games, as she went 4-for-7 with two runs and two RBI on the day.

The Aggies continue action with a doubleheader at Pocatello, Idaho against Idaho State on Wednesday, April 9 at Noon and then they return home to play conference rival New Mexico State in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12. USU hosts a single contest on Friday at 3 p.m. and the twinbill on Saturday is scheduled for 1 p.m. Admission to all home games in free.