Going into Thursday’s doubleheader against Colorado State, the U softball team felt quite confident that it could start conference play 2-0.
After getting an up close and all-too-personal look at the Rams (20-12) though, the Utes may be feeling fortunate about splitting the pair at Ute Softball Field.
“They were really good,” said Utah head coach Amy Hogue, who admitted that she had never seen the Rams play before Thursday. “They had a lot of good hitters and unfortunately, we had to use the first game to figure them out and find out their holes.”
The Rams’ Lauren Cusick knocked a pair of home runs over the fence in the opening game to lead Colorado State past Utah, 13-9, in a three-hour, eight-inning thriller.
Cusick hit a third home run in the second game, but the Utes returned the favor by claiming a 7-2 victory.
Utah took a 3-1 deficit into the third inning of the first game after Cusick hit her first home run and fellow Ram Alison Majam followed with another.
The Utes’ Sharee Fonoti hit a single into right field to bring in Kristie Keller and Devina Quintero. Keller then added another RBI and Kara Foster scored on a wild pitch to give the Utes a 5-3 advantage.
The Rams stormed back with three more runs in the fifth and another Cusick home run in the sixth to retake the lead, 7-5.
Things were looking grim for the Utes in the bottom of the final inning, but when Quintero and Bonnie Muir managed to get on base, hope was restored.
“You have to give credit to the entire roster, one through nine, especially Andrea Hoffman,” Hogue said. “It was tremendous for our team when the seven, eight and nine spots were setting up the front of the lineup.”
Hoffman connected to bring in Quintero and start the rally that would push the Rams into extra innings. Diana Smith completed the rally with a game-tying sacrifice hit.
Unfortunately for Utah, the Rams erupted for six runs at the top of the extra inning and the lead proved to be insurmountable. Not even a Kara Foster two-run home run could spur them to another comeback.
“Until they call that last out, we believe we’re going to win,” Smuda said. “No matter how many points they scored, we still answered with something. All it takes is a couple swings here and a couple hits there and it’s a totally different ball game.”
That point was driven home in the second game when the Utes exploded for five runs of their own in the third inning to put it away early.
Smuda returned with a vengeance, striking out ten and giving up just seven hits while stifling any Ram attempt at a comeback.
“Our pitchers kept putting the ball up and they made us pay in that first game,” Hogue said. “But Ashley was spectacular in the second game. She actually threw the ball much harder and kept putting it right where I asked her to every time.”
Utah is set to face the New Mexico Lobos today and tomorrow at Ute Field at 4 p.m.
Lennie MahlerUtah Softball will take its swings at New Mexico this weekend.