The Weber State University softball team split a doubleheader against the University of Utah on Wednesday in Salt Lake
City.
The Wildcats were blown out in the first game, falling 11-2 against the Utes, but bounced back in the nightcap, winning 6-1 in a game in which they racked up a season-high 13 hits. It was the first win for WSU over a Pac-12 school since April 15, 1983. It was also the Wildcats’ first win over the Utes since May 3, 1983.
In the first game of the day, Krystin Kubo went 2-3 from the plate. She continued her strong performance at the plate in the second game when she went for 3-4, finishing the day with seven total hits. In the two games on the day, WSU had 18 hits.
Head coach Tina Johnson said she was pleased with the way the team batted, especially since hitting was something the team struggled with earlier in the season. She said the women have had the potential to bat well all season, and now they’re starting to make the right decisions at the plate.
“I’m encouraged by the power we have,” Johnson said, “but it’s all about pitch selection. We have the hitters, if they pick the right pitches to swing at and the right ones to let go.”
On the mound for the Wildcats in the win was Kylee Colvin. In six innings, Colvin allowed one run and picked up her fourth win of the year.
Brooke Silva also batted well for WSU, getting three hits and scoring two runs on the day. Silva wasn’t alone in getting two hits on the day. Infielder Stephanie Mathias, sophomore catcher Janel Cunningham, freshman second baseman Brooke Ford, freshman left-fielder Rudi Barrios and freshman third baseman Alyson Kulp each recorded two hits on the day.
In the second game, the Wildcats struck first and took a 2-0 lead going into the third inning. In the fourth inning, the Utes pulled a run back with a home run, but WSU squashed their rally attempt in the fourth inning.
Kubo led off the inning with a single, followed by another single and a walk to load the bases with no outs. Cunningham then singled up the middle to score two runs. Then, with two outs, Kulp singled, scoring another run to push the Wildcat to five runs.
In the first game, the Utes started strong, scoring six runs in the first inning to start the game and leading 7-0 before Silva scored on a sacrifice fly by Mathias.
The Wildcats made it 8-2 in the top of the fifth after Silva singled through the right side to score Kulp, but that’s as close as the Wildcats came, and the Utes scored three in the bottom of the fifth to end the game early on run rule.
The Wildcats will be back in action on Friday and Saturday when they travel to Sacramento, Calif., for a three-game Big Sky Conference series with California State University, Sacramento.
The Wildcats have 11 more games this season before the conference tournament. Johnson said she hopes the team will be able to get a few more wins before the end of the year. WSU is currently at the bottom of the conference standings, but getting a few more wins could move the Wildcats up the standings.
“It would be great to keep improving and get a few more wins,” Johnson said.
