SOFTBALL: Utah State opened play at the Wildcat Invitational with a pair of losses, falling to Minnesota, 2-1, and to host and No. 4 Arizona 11-3 in six innings.
With the losses, the Aggies fall to 3-9 with the losses. Minnesota improved to 8-7,while Arizona is now 15-2.
In the first game, Minnesota struck first in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs. Malisa Barnes started the rally with a double down the left field line. With one out, Alex Davis walked to put runners on first and second. After a Kari Dorle pop-up, Natalie Neal walked to load the bases. Starting pitcher Mandy Harmon hit her 14th batter of the season, Dannie Skrove, to score Barnes and give the Gophers the 1-0 lead. Davis crossed the plate on a wild pitch to give Minnesota the 2-0 advantage. Harmon ended the threat by striking out Allie Siu to end the inning.
Utah State bounced back in the top of the second to cut the lead in half. Senior designated player Shasta Tyteca started the inning with a single through the left side. Tyteca stole second to move into scoring position. Freshman catcher Samantha Miller earned her first collegiate RBI with an infield single to score Tyteca. Minnesota starting pitcher Sara Moulton was able to get out of the inning without any more damage.
After the second inning, both offenses were shut down with both Harmon and Moulton taking control of the game. Harmon struck out a season-high six batters which is just one shy of her career high against Maine in 2010.
The Utah State offense managed only two hits against Moulton and were not able to catch the Golden Gophers. With the loss, Harmon fell to 2-5 overall.
In the second game, Utah State came out strong, but the bats of No. 4 Arizona proved to be too much as the Wildcats captured the 11-3 six-inning win.
The Aggies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, scoring two runs off of starter Shelby Babcock. Freshman right fielder Kassy Uchida started the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior third baseman Tatem Day. Senior shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro reached on an infield single to move Uchida to third and put runners on the corners.. With two outs, starting pitcher sophomore Shelbi Tyteca was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sophomore Kali Cancelosi reached on an error that scored both Kaneshiro and Uchida.
Utah State added another run in the top of the second inning. Senior center fielder Joreigh Landers led off the inning with a double to center and moved to third on a Uchida sacrifice bunt. Day came through with a single up the middle to give USU the early 3-0 advantage.
The Wildcats came roaring back with three runs in the bottom of the second inning. Harmon replaced Tyteca in the circle and gave up a leadoff double to left center to Kristen Arriola, who promptly moved to third on a Harmon wild pitch. Arriola scored on a single by Karissa Buchanan. Two more runs crossed the plate on a triple by Lauren Schutzler to tie the score.
Arizona added two more runs in the third and a single run in the fourth to take a 6-3 lead. In all, Harmon would allow six runs on seven hits in three innings of work.
In the fifth inning, Cancelosi would take to the circle for her first action of the season. With one out, Brittany Lastrapes doubled to left center followed by a bunt single by Schutzler to put runners on the corners. Stacie Chambers tripled to score both runs and give UA a 8-3. The Wildcats added three more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to seal the six-inning win.
Harmon (2-6) took the loss in the game against Arizona.
TRACK AND FIELD: Utah State men's track and field distance medley relay team ran their way to the top of the USU Indoor Track and Field record books at the Alex Wilson Invitational in South Bend, Ind., on Friday in an NCAA Last Chance Meet.
The distance medley team consists of seniors Jason Holt, Eric Larson, James Allred and freshman Tanner Hunt. They shattered the previous record of 9:58.00, which was set in 1997, finishing in 13th place Friday night with a time of 9:43.11, a Western Athletic season-best time.
Holt finished the day running his career-best in the 800 meters, crossing the finish line in 14th place (1:51.30). Larson and Hunt also ran in other events, with Larson breaking the tape in the mile in 20th place with a time of 4:09.81 and Hunt ending in 15th place in the 400 meters (48.64).
Junior John Johnson set a new career-best mark in the pole vault with a jump of 16-8 at the University of Washington Final Qualifier in Seattle, Wash., on Saturday. Johnson's vault tied him for eighth place in the meet and is also the second-best height in the WAC this season. Additionally, the mark is tied for sixth in USU's top 10 list.
Both meets served as NCAA Last Chance Meets, giving athletes one more chance to qualify for the NCAA Indoor National Championships in College Station, Texas, on March 11-12.
Senior Clint Silcock is the lone Aggie who has already qualified when he cleared 2.24 meters in the high jump at the New Mexico Classic on Feb. 4, for an automatic qualifying mark. Several Utah State athletes have hit provisional qualifying marks and will wait to see if they get an invitation as the championship field will be announced on Monday.
After the 2011 NCAA Indoor National Championships, the Utah State men and women's track and field teams will begin the outdoor season at the Arizona Willie Williams Classic in Tucson, Ariz., on March 17-19.