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Cougars Sweep Aggies, 5-1, 4-3
Watson brings in the game-winning run in extra innings of game two.
April 14, 2004
PROVO, Utah - The BYU softball team swept Utah State 5-1, 4-3 on Tuesday at Gail Miller Field. With the wins, the Cougars post a 23-12, 3-3 record and improve the all-time series against the Aggies to 17-0. In the first game of the two game set, BYU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning when Ianeta Le'i scored off an Aggie wild pitch. The Cougars added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning off Jodi Norton's tenth double of the season, which knocked in Lindsey Gerhauser (pinch runner for Kate Walker) to put BYU up by two runs. With one on base in the bottom of the fifth inning, Le'i kept her hitting streak alive and extended it to nine games with a two-run homer, her third of the year. With bases loaded, Debbie Dodds came through with a nice hit to left field to bring in Kate Walker and give BYU a five-run cushion. In the top of the sixth inning, an Aggie single to right field knocked in Utah State's first and only run of the game to bring the final score to 5-1. Brooke Boyce (7-5) threw a great five innings for BYU to allow no Aggie runs and receive the win on the mound. Ariel Capra relieved Boyce in the top of the sixth inning and recorded three strikeouts in two innings. In the second match up, Utah State got out to an early 2-0 lead off a sacrifice bunt and a Cougar error. But Walker was clutch for BYU in the bottom of the fourth inning with a three-run home run to right centerfield, her sixth of the year, to put the Cougars up one run. Utah State's Candice Hatch brought in the tying run in the top of the sixth inning off a single to right centerfield. Neither team scored in the seventh inning to propel the game into extra frames. Niki Andersen and the BYU defense held Utah State scoreless in the top of the eighth inning to give the Cougars an opportunity to get the win in the bottom of the inning.
BYU catcher Lauren Watson knocked in the game-winning run with a single up the middle in the bottom of the eighth inning to bring in Jennifer Whiteley (who started the extra innings at second base) for the winning run of the game to give the Cougars the 4-3 victory.
Andersen (13-4) recorded eight strikeouts and received the win on the mound after pitching a complete eight-inning game for BYU. "Utah State played a good game and brought it to us today," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "I was happy with our pitching staff. All three did a good job and kept us in it." The Cougars will play two away conference doubleheaders this week against Colorado State on Thursday, April 15 starting at 1 p.m. and New Mexico on Saturday, April 17 starting at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available for the game against New Mexico. A link is available on the BYU softball schedule page. BYU will play at home again on Tuesday, April 20 in a doubleheader against UVSC starting at 5 p.m. |
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