OCR Text |
Show Softball loses two to UW BY USU ATHLETICS In its final action of the Cascade Clash, Utah State softball was swept by No. 20 Washington in a doubleheader Sunday afternoon, played at Portland State's Erv Lind Stadium. USU lost 9-3 in the first game and was topped in the nightcap, 5-4, in a timeshortened six inning contest. The Aggies end the weather-shortened Cascade Clash and their weekend match-up against Pac-10 teams with an 0-3 mark, after having Friday's games washed out and playing an abbreviated schedule Saturday, losing 11-3 at Oregon State in six innings. USU has lost five in a row while falling to 312 overall on the year, and Washington improves to 196-1, winning 13 of its last 14 games. AGGIE BASKETBALL PLAYERS Jaycee Carroll (right), Gary Wilkinson (center) and Tai Wesley (left) exit the court after Utah State lost in the semifinals of the Western The Huskies scored first Athletic Conference Tournament to Boise State, 88-78, on Friday, March 14. TYLER LARSON photo with a run in the top of the second, while Utah State responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Junior first baseman Aubrie Stroman started the rally with a double to center before freshman shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro doubled to left, advancing Stroman to third while junior second baseman Jeanine Hernandez walked to load the bases. USU then scored three BySAMBRYNER runs without getting the senior writer ball out of the infield as sophomore center fielder After beating San Jose State in the opening round, Emily Reilly and senior third 85-65, the Aggies fell to eventual champion Boise baseman Amy Schaible drew State 88-78 in the semifinals of the 2008 Western walks sandwiched around an Athletic Conference Championships on Friday night infield single by junior left inLasCruces, N.M. fielder Mikey Price before the The automatic bid to the NCAA tournament inning and rally ended with granted to the winner of the conference tournament an infield popup, leaving the went to Boise State, who won the championship game Aggies ahead, 3-1. on Saturday night. The Broncos claimed the title after UW tied the score with downing New Mexico State 107-102 in a thrilling a pair of runs in the top of triple-overtime championship game. the third with a two-run Utah State was seeded as the No. 1 team going into bases loaded single and then the tournament, meaning they were guaranteed posttacked on two runs in each season play regardless of how they fared in the conferof the fourth, six and seventh ence championship. innings to pull away for the win. San Jose Freshman pitcher Tylee Landon took the loss in her Playing in the opening round of the WAC first decision of the season, Tournament, Utah State used a quick start to jump yielding seven hits in three out to an early 10-point lead, from which they never innings, while junior Kayla looked back as they cruised to a victory over San Jose Dunn threw the final four State 85-65. frames, allowing six hits The Aggies appeared in the semifinals of the conwhile striking out two. ference tournament for the ninth straight year as they Offensively, Price had two advanced to play Boise State. of the Aggies' five hits as well Just three minutes into the game, the Aggies held as an RBI. on to a 10-8 lead before making four 3-pointers to Washington opened game spark a 14-1 run. The run led to a 15-point lead at 24two by hanging three on the 9 with 12:53 left in the first half of play. board in the first, belting "We came out pretty excited and got after them U S U J U N I O R G U A R D D E S M O N D STEPHENS battles with Boise State's Anthony Thomas (I I) for a two-run home run. The early which was great," senior guard Jaycee Carroll a loose ball during the Aggies'WAC Tournament semifinal loss to the Broncos on Friday, March 14 at the Pan Huskies added a run in the said. America Center in Las Cruces, N.M. TYLER LARSON photo third and another in the fifth Carroll scored a game-high 24 points for Utah to open a 5-0 lead. State on 10-13 shooting, including 4-6 from beyond After being no-hit through the arc. More importantly than his points may have the first five frames, the been the attention that Carroll garnered from Spartan Aggies got their bats going defenders that led to open shots for freshman forward with three hits in the top of Tyler Newbold. the sixth as sophomore sec"The way things went, we set screens for me and ond baseman Nicole Rupp they showed out and denied me a little bit. Kris Clark led of with an infield single. made some great reads and just found Ty Newbold After Reilly reached on an wide open," Carroll said. error, Stroman later walked Newbold scored 19 points on a red-hot 7-8 shootIllinois State comes from the these two teams will match up BySAMBRYNER to load the bases. Dunn then ing, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Missouri Valley Conference and in the NIT as the Aggies sufsen/or writer hit into a fielder's choice, leav"They wereflockingto Carroll," Newbold said. recorded a 24-9 overall record on fered a 93-87 overtime loss at ing USU with the bases juiced "They were so focused on him that I was able to get the season, including going 13-5 home in 1995. Utah State is 3-1 and two outs. Kaneshiro some open looks." Utah State men's basketball in conference play. against Illinois State overall and then laced an RBI-single to Aside from great play by Carroll and Newbold, the will make it's ninth-straight "We know what we're up has won two in a row against the center, and everyone moved Aggies were supported by big games from big men postseason appearance on against in terms of the caliber Redbirds. up a base on an error by the Tai Wesley and Gary Wilkinson. The two post players Wednesday when it plays at of team that we will be playing, Despite not knowing anything UW centerfielder. Freshman each scored 15 points and pulled down nine rebounds Illinois State in the first round I think their RPI is like 33 or much about Illinois State, senior Megan McDonald followed apiece. Wesley also recorded a Aggie season-high in of the National Invitational 34, that tells you they're a pretty Jaycee Carroll is excited to play with a two-run single to make blocks with six. Tournament (NIT). The game dang good basketball team," and try and pick up some wins. it 5-4 before the inning and "We were on our post guys pretty hard the last will tip off at 8 p.m., and is telehead coach Stew Morrill said. "Were going to play a good the game ended with a strikecouple of days," head coach Stew Morrill said. vised on ESPNU. This will be the secondteam, a team that has won a lot out. The challenge was in part to the poor defensive The NIT consist of 32 teams straight year that Utah State will of games, and it would be nice In the circle, junior performance the Aggie big men showed in the teams' that are split up into four regions play in the NIT and the fourth to get some wins," Carroll said, last meeting against San Jose State in which they Lindsey Benson pitched all with eight teams seeded from in the last eight years. Overall, "Coach Morrill says that he has gave up 52 points to the Spartan big men, including five innings, striking out two one to eight in each region. Utah Utah State has played in the NIT never coached a team that has career high in points from Chris Oakes, who scored while giving up 11 hits, fallState is seeded seventh and will nine times and has currently won an NIT game," ing to 3-9 on the season with face the No. 2 seed Redbirds, lost seven in a row. The game LI See SHORT, page 16 the loss. located in Normal, Illinois. will mark the second time that -sam.bryner@aggiemaiLusu.edu Utah State falls short Ags lose in semifinals of the WAC Tournament to Boise State USU settlesfor No. 7 seed in the NIT} game against Illinois State |