Ashlee Snyder – Utah State Eastern Softball
Photo courtesy of: Jeff Barrett
The Lady Eagles opened conference facing Salt Lake Community College, dropping the first game 4-1. Eastern was up 1-0 in the 4th 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 6th inning with a homerun. USE Eastern didn’t string anymore runs together for the game & the Bruins gathered 3 runs in the 6th inning to give them the 4-1 lead. Sophomore Emma Marchant pitched 6 innings allowing 4 runs, 8 hits, walking 1 and striking out 2. Zoey Rose (Fr) lead at the plate going 2-3.
Game 2 @ SLCC Final 10-7 Loss
USU Eastern started the game with a double by Kalsey Lopes (Fr), followed by an RBI single from Marisa Bowman (So), getting the Eagles the early lead, 1-0. SLCC scored 7 runs in the bottom of the 1st inning leading 7-1. The Eagles had runners on in the 2nd inning but couldn’t produce any runs. In the 3rd & 4th inning SLCC gather 2 more runs, the Eagles responded in the 5th inning with a single from Mackenzie Wright (Fr), a hard ground ball from Kalsey Lopes (Fr) led to an RBI & she reached on an error. Zoey Rose added another run to the board with a solo homerun to left field, trailing 9-3. Eastern held the Bruins and continued the rally in the 6th inning. The inning started with a leadoff double from Skyler Lauver (So), Malorie Luck (So) moved Lauver to 3rd on a ground ball. Freshman Sydney Smith singled on a line drive, scoring Lauver. Mackenzie Wright (Fr) had an RBI single, scoring Smith & moving Madie Luck to 3rd. Graciee Christiansen grounds out to the second basemen, scoring Luck (13) advancing Wright to 3rd. Another error from SLCC gives the Eagles another run with Marisa Bowmans ground ball, scoring Wright. The Bruins scored one more in the 7th 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 7 runs on 8 hits with 1 strikeout in 6 innings. Wright, Rose & Bowman all had multiple hits at the plate , Wright led 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 5th inning to SLCC. Kalsey Lopes (Fr) and Marisa Bowman (So) both had singles in the first inning. The Bruins gathered 6 runs in the 1st inning. Eastern had a couple of runners on in the 2nd inning, but no runs. SLCC added two more in the 2nd. In the 3rd inning Bowman singled, but still no noise for the Eagles. The game ended in 5 innings with the Bruins taking it 8-0. Madie Luck threw for the Eagles, giving up 7 hits and 8 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 the game with a leadoff walk from Mackenzie Wright (Fr), RBI triple from Kalsey Lopes (Fr), Marisa Bowman (So) flied out to the right fielder, Lopes tagged up and scored a run, giving Eastern the lead 2-0. In the 2nd inning, Malorie Luck (So) led off with a double on a line drive to right field, Avery Nelson (Fr) put down a bunt to move Luck (6) to 3rd. Madie Luck (So) was hit by a pitch, Wright reaches on an error, scoring Luck (6). Lopes clears the bases with a 3-run homerun to center field, Bowman followed up with a line drive single, but the Eagles didn’t score anymore in the inning. The runs continue in the 4th inning starting with a walk by Nelson (Fr), Madie Luck hits into a fielder’s choice & Wright singles to move Luck (13) to 2nd . Lopes with another 3-run homerun bringing the score to 9-0. SLCC added some runs in the 5th inning scoring 3. A big day for Lopes at the plate with her 3rd homerun of the game, a solo shot to give the Eagles another run, 10-3. SLCC didn’t give, scoring 3 more runs in the 6th inning. In the 7th inning, Zoey Rose (Fr) reaches on an error, that landed her on 2nd , Skyler Lauver moved Rose to 3rd , Luck (6) scored Rose on a single to left field, leading 11-6. Bruins passed the bat and came back in the 7th inning to tie the game, 11-11. Going into extra innings, Nelson leads off with a walk, Madie Luck bunts Nelson over and is safe at 1st. Wright grounds out but advances the runners to 2nd & 3rd . Lopes is back with the fire and ropes a triple to right field, scoring Nelson and Luck (13), giving the Eagles the lead back, 13-11. Eastern shut out SLCC in the 8th inning, going 1,2,3 winning 13-11. Eastern collected 10 hits in the game, Lopes and Luck (6) collected multiple hits, Lopes led at the plate going 5-5, with 3 home runs. Emma Marchant (So) earned the Win for the Eagles, allowing 7 runs on 12 hits.
The next conference competition will be March 11th @ 1 p.m. & 3:00 p.m. and again on the following day, March 12 @ 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. vs Snow College at home.