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Show StatesmanS ports Monday, April 11, 2011 Page 9 Softball busts losing streak, taking two of three from SJSU BY USU ATHLETICS Behind a five-hit day from freshman utility player Kassy Uchida, the Utah State softball team earned a series win over San Jose State, winning the first game 5-2 before dropping the second game of the doubleheader 8-4. It was the Aggies' first Western Athletic Conference series win since taking two out of three against the Spartans in Logan last season. The Aggies are now 7-33 and 2-7 in WAC play this season. San Jose State is 1625 this season and are 2-7 in league action. In the first game of the doubleheader, both teams threatened in the first inning as both the Aggies and the Spartans had two hits in the inning. USU starting pitcher sophomore Mandy Harmon and SJSU starter Jennifer Ames both were able to get out of the inning. Both teams left two on base. In the bottom of the second, the Spartans loaded the bases on three Harmon walks. The sophomore was able to strike out Brandee Garcia and Sadie Coenen to end the inning with the bases loaded. USU followed suit leaving the bases loaded in the top of the third inning. Uchida reached on her second base hit of the game. With two outs, senior designated player Shasta Tyteca reached on an error to put runners on first and second. Junior Ashley Venura followed with a walk to load the bases. Ames was able to get freshman Allison Lenzora to fly out to center to end the inning. Through the first three innings, there were 12 left on base by both teams. Utah State broke through in the top of the fourth inning with a two-out rally. After two quick outs, freshman catcher Samantha Miller singled to right center which was the first of four-straight singles for the Aggies. After Uchida and Landers reached on singles to load the bases, Miller made the score 1-0 when she scored on a base hit by freshman Krista Bava. Senior designated player Shasta Tyteca's bases loaded walk plated the second run of the game. A single to deep right center by Ventura plated both Landers and Bava to give USU a 4-0 advantage. San Jose State got one run back in the bottom of the fourth inning to cut the lead to 4-1. Cheryl Freitas doubled to right and was driven home by Jessica Garcia. USU fought back to add one more run in the top of the fifth inning to up the scored to 5-1. Senior outfielder Joreigh Landers drove home pinch runner freshman Annie Thomas with her second hit of the game. Landers went 4-for-8 in the doubleheader to lead the Aggies. Relief pitcher sophomore Shelbi Tyteca allowed one run in the bottom of the sixth after a Freitas double and singles by Jessica Garcia and BranDee Garcia. The run crossed the plate on a fielder's choice by Coenen. Harmon came back in the game in the bottom of the seventh to close out the game. She moved to 5-19 with the win, while Ames fell to 6-12 with the loss. In the second half of the doubleheader, USU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning with three hits. Once again leadoff hitter Uchida was in on the action with a single to center. She would move to second on a sacrifice bunt by Landers. A Bava single moved Uchida to third, but she was erased from the base paths on a fielder's choice by sophomore catcher Tina Ferguson. Bava would come around to score on Ventura base hit to give USU the early lead. San Jose State fought back with seven runs in the bottom of the first only two of which were earned. Utah State made three errors in the inning to help the Spartans gain the 7-1 lead after one inning. USU got one run back in the top of the second inning to cut the lead to 7-2. Lenzora started the inning with a triple to right center, which was her first of the season. Senior outfielder Megan McDonald flied out to center and on the play UTAH STATE PITCHER MANDY HARMON winds up for a pitch during a game against New Mexico State on April I. Harmon pitched five innings Saturday, allowing just one run on five hits to earn a 5-2 win for USU against San Jose State. STERLING BOIN photo there was an error by SJSU Junior Dani Chaplin who catcher Amanda Schatz that pitched the first inning sufallowed Lenzora to score. fered the loss for USU and In the top of the fourth falls to 0-6. Elyssa Fox, who inning, USU added two more pitched 3.1 innings in relief, runs to cut the lead to 7-4. earned the win for San Jose Once again, San Jose State and improves to 4-11. took advantage of Utah State Overall, Utah State now errors and scored one more holds a slight 28-26 series run in the bottom of the lead over San Jose State. fourth inning to take an 8-4 Following the three-game lead. series with the Spartans, the Aggies will return home to take on in-state rival BYU in Logan on Tuesday, April 16 for a single game at 3 p.m. It is also Local Heroes day when USU will honor local servicemen. The Aggies will then host a three-game series with Boise State April 22-23. Women's tennis pounds Gonzaga Frisbee: Prepping for ultimate glory continuedfrom page 8 BY USU ATHLETICS Utah State women's tennis would not be denied Friday afternoon in a 5-2 victory over West Coast Conference opponent Gonzaga in a neutral-site match. USU improves to 9-5 overall and will be looking to capture its first Western Athletic Conference win of the season on Saturday at Idaho. The Aggies gained the early upper hand over the Bulldogs by sweeping all three doubles matches. Leading the charge for Utah State in the No. 1 position was senior Hailey Swenson and junior partner Romina Nedakovic as the tandem fought hard for an 8-5 victory that set the tone for the rest of the match. Sophomore Jacyln West and junior Kristina Voytsekhovich secured an 8-4 win in the second spot while senior Taylor Perry and junior Julie Tukuafu ensured the doubles sweep with an 8-3 win in the third slot. Utah State kept the pressure on Gonzaga in singles play by winning two of the opening three matches. In the No. 2 position was Swenson, who dismissed GU's Prue Teitzel in straight sets, 6-3, 6-2. USU solidified it's victory as Voytsekhovich won in straight sets in the third spot, 6-4, 7-6, followed with another straight set victory in the No. 4 position by Romina Nedakovic, 6-4, 6-4. The highlight of the afternoon came in the fifth position as Tukuafu was locked in a shoot out with GU's Sophie Lantta. Tukuafu was put in an early hole after dropping the back and forth opening set to Lantta, 7-6. The relentlessness of both competitors continued in the second set, as the two exchanged point for point late into the set, before Tukuafu escaped with a 7-5 win that forced a super tiebreaker third set. In the tie-break, Tukuafu established her will early and SENIOR HAILEY SWENSON returns a volley during a match against New Mexico State on April I. USU beat Gonzaga 5-2 Friday in Moscow, Idaho. CARL RWILSON photo never slowed as she powered her way to a 10-4 third set victory to give the Aggies their fifth point of the contest. Utah State will look to carry the momentum gained in Friday's match into Saturday's critical showdown with WAC rival Idaho as USU seeks its first conference win of the season. Idaho enters Saturday's action with an 8-3 record and a 1-1 WAC mark. The match is set to start at 10:30 a.m. we are as USU's Ultimate Bull. This all-female team "We can run circles team," said secondary eduplays other female teams around them, but they can cation major Ian Blake, the in the same conference in still put the Frisbee anyonly freshman on the team. official matches, while still where they want and beat us It has been a long road getting the opportunity to with their technical experisince the start of the fall lend two or three of their ence," Blake said. term for the Mad Cows. players to the play for the The constant practicing Their first practices on Mad Cows' team. and competitive tournathe quad last September Practices have been held ments helped the Mad Cows brought out 40-50 potential out on the quad Tuesdays perform very well in last players. Clyde and other and Thursdays from 5-7 month's Las Vegas FFindr! returning players then p.m. Ultimate tournament. One began the weeding-out pro"Rain or snow, we will we of the largest Ultimate tourcess. be out there with our cleats naments in the world, the "This is an actual team, on," Clyde said. Mad Cows played teams and it is a competitive sport, Only during the winter from universities such as a lot of people did not realwhen daylight was an issue USC and Colorado State and ize that" Clyde said. would they practice in the finished with a 4-4 record. After narrowing the Fieldhouse. They were not allowed to potentials down to a regu"It is a very structured rank because they were dislar-sized team of 14 players, sport, with different styles qualified for registration to be able to have a full line for different teams and issues. of substitutes for the seven weather conditions, but its "We achieved the same players allowed on the field easy to pick up if you come record last year at the tourduring game play, the lineout to practice," said Clyde. nament and moved up 153 up was solidified during the The team also gets some places nationally, so it was USU-hosted Big Sky tourna- good competitive practice a really good performance ment opener in October. against a local Ultimate both years," Clyde said. This is one of the first times Frisbee group who are called The Mad Cows will be the USU Ultimate team has the Dinosaurs by their coltraveling to the conference not been co-ed. Though, lege opponents. A few of the championship tournament the women still do get the "Dinosaurs" are even memthis Friday. If they place chance to play in official bers of the USU faculty, with in first or second they will open games since other professors Harold Ikerd and advance to the regional teams competing are still Terry Griswold from the tournament in Washington. co-ed. The women do have biology department playing their own team, called No against their own students. — mfiggat@gmail.corn Shutout: Aggies dominating spring continuedfrom page 8 team has implemented during the spring. Instead of using a 4-3-1-2, Cairns moved to a 4-2-3-1 to bring out the strengths of her attacking players. "I think we're going to look different in the attack," Cairns said. "We really tried to tweak it based on our personnel that we're going to have next year. That's what spring is for us; we really try and develop the skeleton for what we're going to do in the fall. I feel like we are." Utah State is also excelling on defense. The only goal allowed so far during spring play came from a corner-kick, not during the normal run of play. "Molli Merrill has a ton of experience in goal for us," Cairns said. "Katie Crosland and Natalie Norris were our two centerbacks in the fall, so they have a lot of experience. We have a lot of experience in the back." Cairns said Merrill, Crosland and Norris constitute the defensive "spine" for Utah State, keeping the defense organized and on the same page. "They keep us confident defensively," Cairns said. "I think that experience is really showing through; they can read what each other are doing. They play really well as a group of four." Off the field, Utah State will be represented by junior forward Marissa Sanchez, who was selected to attend the 2011 NCAA Career in Sports Forum, May 11-14, in Indianapolis. Sanchez is one of 303 student-athletes accepted out of 1,100 who applied. Cairns said the team is excited for the opportunity Sanchez earned. "It was a very selective process, so for her to be able to stand out, we're really proud of her that she's one of our own," Cairns said. "It's a great opportunity for her to travel to Indianapolis to network with other student athletes from different school and to be mentored by some great professionals about careers in sports." Utah State will conclude spring ball at the Boise State Tournament on April 16 where they will face Montana and Boise State. — tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu IC .,..• C103 ( 4 Why Crestwoods Apartments? a) Location— Practically onprivate Campus bath our apt ., Private bedroom* with b) First—Class amenities &Laundry in y Cable, free Nigh Speed Internet) c) Expanded LL i. . - OF SHE ABOVEI 13 The Very Best Single od a) Edgewo b) Lynvvoodod vvvoTHE t1/4Bove dp‘reilito dousing! Student Housing Summer Specials From $5•50/ Day! With cRESTWOODs Apartments Your housing decision is a no-brainer! 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