Utah State softball lost its third and final game of the weekend against Fresno State on March 15, falling 6-2 at Margie Wright Diamond in Fresno. Despite the defeat, Utah State secured a 2-1 series win over the Bulldogs.
The matchup began with two scoreless innings before Fresno State scored first with an RBI double in the third. Utah State responded quickly when senior infielder Alex Bunton hit her third home run of the season on the first pitch of the fourth inning. However, Fresno State regained control by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth and adding three more in the fifth to extend their lead to 6-1.
Utah State managed hits in several innings but struggled to convert them into additional runs. In the seventh inning, sophomore outfielder Faith Kroening was hit by a pitch and later scored on an RBI triple from senior outfielder Kya Pratt, narrowing the deficit to four runs. The Aggies loaded the bases after another hit by pitch and a walk but were unable to capitalize as a pop up ended their comeback attempt.
Pratt led Utah State offensively, going 2-for-4 with a triple and accounting for half of the team’s four hits. In pitching, freshman Jordyn Lish started and allowed five hits and three earned runs over 3.1 innings. Senior Rylie Pindel pitched one inning with two earned runs allowed, while senior Sydney Saldaña finished with 1.2 innings and one earned run.
Looking ahead, Utah State (12-14 overall, 2-0 Mountain West) will travel to Pocatello, Idaho for a single contest against Idaho State on Tuesday, March 17 at 4 p.m.
