Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Ashlee Snyder. Utah State Eastern Softball
Game 1@ SLCC
Final 4-1 Loss
The Lady Eagles opened conference play against Salt Lake Community College last week, dropping the first game 4-1. Eastern was up 1-0 in the fourth inning with a leadoff single from Zoey Rose (Fr), a single from Skyler Lauver (So), followed up with a hard ground ball from Malorie Luck (So) to score Rose. SLCC came back to tie it up in the sixth inning with a homerun.
USUE didn’t string any more runs together in the game and the Bruins gathered three runs in the sixth inning to give them the 4-1 lead. Sophomore Emma Marchant pitched six innings, allowing four runs, eight hits, walking one and striking out two. Zoey Rose (Fr) led at the plate, going 2-3.
Game 2 @ SLCC
Final 10-7 Loss
USU Eastern started game two with a double by Kalsey Lopes (Fr), followed by an RBI single from Marisa Bowman (So), giving the Eagles the early lead, 1-0. SLCC scored seven runs in the bottom of the first inning to lead 7-1. The Eagles had runners on in the second inning but couldn’t produce any runs.
In the third and fourth inning, SLCC gathered two more runs. The Eagles responded in the fifth inning with a single from Mackenzie Wright (Fr), while a hard ground ball from Kalsey Lopes (Fr) led to an RBI and she reached on an error. Zoey Rose added another run to the board with a solo homerun to left field, leaving the Eagles trailing 9-3.
Eastern held the Bruins and continued the rally in the sixth inning. The inning started with a leadoff double from Skyler Lauver (So), while Malorie Luck (So) moved Lauver to third on a ground ball. Freshman Sydney Smith singled on a line drive, scoring Lauver. Mackenzie Wright (Fr) had an RBI single, scoring Smith and moving Madie Luck to third. Graciee Christiansen ground out to the second basemen, scoring Luck (13) and advancing Wright to third.
Another error from SLCC gave the Eagles another run with Marisa Bowman’s ground ball, scoring Wright. The Bruins scored one more in the seventh inning to win the game 10-7.
Both teams capped 11 hits on the game. Sydney Smith was the pitcher for the Eagles, giving up seven runs on eight hits with one strikeout in six innings. Wright, Rose and Bowman all had multiple hits at the plate. Wright led the team, going 3-4.
Game 3 @ SLCC
Final 8-0 Loss
Eastern fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 8-0 loss in the fifth inning to SLCC. Kalsey Lopes (Fr) and Marisa Bowman (So) both had singles in the first inning, but the Bruins gathered six runs in the first inning.
Eastern had a couple of runners on in the second inning, but no runs. SLCC added two more in the second. In the third inning, Bowman singled, but still no noise for the Eagles. The game ended in five innings with the Bruins taking it 8-0.
Madie Luck threw for the Eagles, giving up seven hits and eight runs, with no errors made on defense. Bowman went 2-3 at the plate.
Game 4 @ SLCC
Final 13-11 Win
The Lady Eagles surged ahead early in game four with a leadoff walk from Mackenzie Wright (Fr) and an RBI triple from Kalsey Lopes (Fr). Marisa Bowman (So) then flied out to the right fielder, while Lopes tagged up and scored a run, giving Eastern the lead 2-0.
In the second inning, Malorie Luck (So) led off with a double on a line drive to right field, while Avery Nelson (Fr) put down a bunt to move Luck (6) to third. Madie Luck (So) was hit by a pitch and Wright reached on an error, scoring Luck (6). Lopes then cleared the bases with a three-run homerun to center field and Bowman followed up with a line drive single, but the Eagles didn’t score again in the inning.
The runs continued in the fourth inning, starting with a walk by Nelson (Fr). Madie Luck then hit into a fielder’s choice and Wright singled to move Luck (13) to second. Lopes had another three-run homerun, bringing the score to 9-0. SLCC added some runs in the fifth inning, scoring three.
It was a big day for Lopes at the plate with her third homerun of the game, a solo shot to give the Eagles another run, 10-3. SLCC didn’t give, scoring three more runs in the sixth inning.
In the seventh inning, Zoey Rose (Fr) reached on an error that landed her on second, Skyler Lauver moved Rose to third and Luck (6) scored Rose on a single to left field, giving the Eagles the 11-6 lead. The Bruins passed the bat and came back in the seventh inning to tie the game, 11-11.
Going into extra innings, Nelson led off with a walk, while Madie Luck bunted Nelson over and was safe at first. Wright grounded out but advanced the runners to second and third. Lopes came back with the fire and roped a triple to right field, scoring Nelson and Luck (13), giving the Eagles the lead back, 13-11.
Eastern shut out SLCC in the eighth inning, going 1,2,3 and winning 13-11. Eastern collected 10 hits in the game, Lopes and Luck (6) collected multiple hits, while Lopes led at the plate, going 5-5 with three home runs. Emma Marchant (So) earned the win for the Eagles, allowing seven runs on 12 hits.
The next conference competition will be March 11 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and again on the following day, March 12, at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. against Snow College at home.