April 6, 2014
Logan, Utah - The San José State University softball team got double-digit hits for the third-straight game but fell to Utah State, 16-8, in a five-inning Mountain West contest on Sunday.
After winning the weekend's first two games, the Spartans won their second Mountain West series of the season, 2-1.
For the second-consecutive game, San José State (21-14, 4-2 MW) scored in the opening inning. With runners on the corners, Jessie Hufstetler hit a bouncing single to left field and scored Devin Caldwell for the 1-0 lead.
But the Aggies (15-20, 4-5 MW) scored seven runs in the bottom of the frame, including a three-RBI triple, to take a 7-1 advantage in to the second.
The Spartans put on a hitting clinic in the third frame, however, to tie the game, 7-7.
A throwing error by Utah State's pitcher Noelle Johnson led off San José State's rally. Her bobble allowed Hufstetler and Jessica Garcia to score. After getting the 7-3 run, the Spartans' bats caught fire. Erin Rodriguez smashed a two-run homer, her first as a Spartan, to right center.
Casey Watt continued the rally in the next at bat. She knocked the game's second triple to score Nicole Schultz. Watt crossed home plate when Caldwell, the next batter, got a sacrifice fly to right center for the 7-7 tying run.
The Aggies scored another three runs in the bottom of the frame to regain their lead with the 10-7 score. In the fourth, an RBI-single to right field by Schultz cut Utah State's lead to 10-8.
However, a two-RBI double, two home runs and RBI-single in the fifth secured Utah State's 16-8, five-inning victory.
The Spartans posted double-digit hits (11) in three straight games for the first time since 2010. Schultz was perfect on the day, going 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI.
In the circle, Katelyn Linford (8-9) suffered her ninth loss of the season. In 0.2 inning, she scattered four hits, allowing five runs while walking one. Allison Lang, Madison Fish and Berlyn Rippentrop combined to allow 11 earned runs off of 13 hits in the game's final 4.1 innings.
San José State hosts New Mexico for a Mountain West weekend series, beginning at Friday, April 11, at 3:00 p.m.
Utah State 16, San Jose State 8 (Apr 06, 2014 at Logan, Utah)
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San Jose State...... 106 10 - 8 11 0 (21-15, 4-2 MW)
Utah State.......... 703 06 - 16 17 4 (15-20, 4-5 MW)
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Pitchers: San Jose State - Linford, Katelyn; LANG, Allison(1); FISH, Madison(2);
RIPPENTROP, Berlyn(5) and Garcia, Jessica. Utah State - JOHNSON, Noelle and WEBSTER, Kelsie.
Win-JOHNSON, Noelle(14-12) Loss-LINFORD, Katelyn(8-9) T-1:58 A-221
HR SJSU - Rodriguez, Erin (1).
HR US - SAUCEDO,Victoria (5); FROTON, Hailey (6).
LANG faced 2 batters in the 2nd.
RIPPENTROP faced 3 batters in the 5th.