Photo by Jeff Barrett
By Kenzie Dorney – USU Eastern Athletics
Game 1
USU Eastern grabbed a late lead in the sixth to defeat CSI, 10-6, in the first game of a four-game series last week.
The game was tied at six with the Lady Eagles up to bat in the top of the sixth when freshman Morgan Tanner homered, scoring three runs.
Tanner led USUE to victory, driving in four runs. She went 2-4 at the plate. Tanner drove in runs on a home run in the fourth and a home run in the sixth.
In the first inning, USU Eastern got its offense started when an error scored a run for the Lady Eagles. CSI then tied things up in the fifth on a grand slam.
Sophomore Nyah DeRyke earned the win for USU Eastern. The right-hander lasted five innings, allowing seven hits and six runs while striking out five. Freshman Madie Luck threw two innings in relief and recorded the last six outs to earn the save.
The Lady Eagles tallied three home runs in the game. Tanner went deep in the fourth and sixth innings. Sophomore Regan Bossow had a long ball in the sixth inning.
USU Eastern racked up 11 hits in the game. DeRyke, freshman Marisa Bowman and Tanner each had multiple hits as they each managed two to lead the team.
The Lady Eagles had 38 plate appearances, 34 at bats, a team average of .324 and a slugging percentage of .618.
Highlights
- Tanner went 2-4
- The Lady Eagles hit three home runs
- The Lady Eagles racked up 11 hits
- DeRyke struck out five
“We came out hot in the top of the first. When they tied it, we didn’t get rattled; we played our game and finished strong,” head coach Shelby Shurtliff said.
Game 2
In game two, USU Eastern stole the lead late in the game to take their second win on the day, 7-5.
The Lady Eagles trailed 5-3 in the top of the seventh inning when freshman Jenna Sutliff homered, scoring three runs. CSI scored four in the second, but USU Eastern still managed to pull away with the win.
Freshman Madie Luck got the win for the Lady Eagles. Luck lasted seven innings, allowing seven hits, one earned run and striking out three.
USU Eastern hit two home runs in the game. Sutliff hit one deep in the seventh inning while freshman Morgan Tanner had a long ball in the sixth inning.
The Lady Eagles collected 11 hits on the day. Sutliff, freshman Marisa Bowman, freshman Alex Deming and Tanner had multiple hits as they each collected two hits to lead the team.
USUE had 36 plate appearances, 33 at at bats, a team average of .333 and slugging percentage of .606.
Highlights
- Luck had one earned run
- The Lady Eagles had two home runs
- The Lady Eagles had 11 hits
“Madie threw a great game that continued on from the first game. We had a few defensive miscues, but we showed a lot of heart going into the sixth and seventh innings to finish out winning the day,” said Shurtliff.
Game 3
USU Eastern fell behind early in game three and couldn’t come back in a 7-0 loss. CSI took the lead on a home run in the second inning.
The Lady Eagles struggled to contain the high-powered offense of CSI. A double by freshman Marisa Bowman in the first inning was a positive for USU Eastern.
Freshman Emma Marchant took the loss for the Lady Eagles. The right-hander lasted four and two-thirds innings, allowing six hits and five runs while striking out eight and walking one.
Freshman Morgan Tanner, Shayna Alofipo, sophomore Josie Hiatt, Bowman, freshman Jenna Sutliff, Gigi Canales and sophomore Nyah DeRyke all had one hit.
The Lady Eagles has 32 plate appearances, 29 at bats, a team average of .241 and a slugging percentage of .345.
Highlights
- Marchant struck out eight
- Tanner, Alofipo, Hiatt, Bowman, Sutliff, Canales and DeRyke led the Lady Eagles in hits
“We didn’t show up to play and let the weather effect us. We didn’t adjust at the plate and that showed with us not touching home once,” Shurtliff said.
Game 4
USU Eastern lost the lead late on Saturday, dropping the final game of the series 4-2. The game was tied at two with CSI batting in the bottom of the fifth when an error scored one run for CSI.
The Lady Eagles lost, despite out hitting CSI nine to four. Freshman Emma Marchant took the loss for USU Eastern. The righty surrendered three runs on three hits over five innings, striking out three.
USUE had nine hits in the game. Freshman Marisa Bowman, Madie Luck and Shayna Alofipo each managed multiple hits for the Lady Eagles. Bowman went 3-4 at the plate to lead the team.
USU Eastern had 30 plate appearances, 29 at bats, a team average of .310 and a slugging percentage of .448.
Highlights
- Marchant struck out three
- Bowman went 3-4
- Bowman, Luck and Alofipo had multiple hits
“We out hit them, but unfortunately we couldn’t string them together and that’s what happens,” said Shurtliff.
USU Eastern will take the field again this Tuesday at 11 a.m in Henderson, Nev. against Snow College for the first game of the region tournament.