Utah State softball defeated Fresno State 8-4 in a nine-inning game on March 14, securing its second consecutive win to open Mountain West play at Margie Wright Diamond.
The victory is significant as it marks Utah State’s strong start in conference competition, improving their record to 12-14 overall and 2-0 in the Mountain West. The Aggies used a four-run surge in extra innings to secure the win.
Freshman Kendall Cochran started for Utah State, pitching over six innings and allowing only three earned runs with three strikeouts. Senior Rylie Pindel came on in relief, holding Fresno State scoreless over the final nearly three innings and earning the win. Utah State began scoring early, with Faith Kroening crossing home plate in the first inning and Kya Pratt adding another run off a wild pitch. After both teams remained scoreless through several innings, Fresno State responded with a run in the fifth before Utah State extended its lead to 4-1 in the sixth inning.
Fresno State rallied late, tying the game with three runs in the seventh inning and forcing extra innings. In the ninth, Utah State’s offense produced four runs highlighted by hits from Jazmin Ramirez, Grace Matej, Kroening, and Pratt. Pindel closed out the game by limiting Fresno State to one hit in their final at-bat.
Pratt led Utah State with a career-high four hits and matched her personal best with four RBIs. Kate Vance also set a new career high with three hits. As a team, Utah State recorded a season-high 16 hits—their most since last season against Nevada.
Utah State will conclude its series against Fresno State tomorrow at 3 p.m., with coverage available on Mountain West Network.
