The Weber State University softball team lost the rubber match, and the three game series, to the Sacramento State Hornets in their first home series of the 2018 season.
WSU lost the first game of the series 4–3, marking their home debut on March 30. The Wildcats found themselves down early in 3–0 but were able to tie things up in the fifth inning before a Hornets RBI single sealed their win.
The Wildcats had no time to mull over the loss with the next game of the series right after the first. They managed to grab a 3–1 lead in the second game of the series, but the Hornets battled back in the sixth and seventh to tie the game.
This game had a different result, as senior catcher Molly Horne hit a walk-off sacrifice fly to clinch the 4–3 win for the Wildcats.
The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead in the third game, when sophomore outfielder Landi Hawker laid down a sacrifice bunt that drew Sacramento State’s second baseman off the bag. Sophomore outfielder Takesha Saltern took advantage of the poor throw and scored from second on the play.
Sophomore infielder Ashlyn Visser drove in the Wildcats second run of the game with an RBI single in the third inning, scoring Hawker from second base.
As the teams entered the final inning, the ’Cats still held a 2–0 lead.
With two outs in the final inning, senior ace Kirtlyn Bohling walked two consecutive batters. WSU sophomore shortstop Sydney White was unable to make the play in the next at-bat, loading the bases for the Hornets.
Sacramento State’s Suzy Brookshire hit a shot to deep center field, and by the time it landed over the wall, the Hornets had a 4–2 lead.
The Wildcats were only able to add one run in the seventh inning off a sacrifice fly from Horne, and the ’Cats took a 4–3 loss in the series finale.
Bohling finished the game with five strikeouts and only allowed five hits. Unfortunately for Weber State, the fifth was the grand slam that carried Sacramento State to victory.
“That was her game to win, and she did,” head coach Mary Kay Amicone said. “She pitched a great game, but they had timely hitting and we didn’t.”
The Wildcats left nine runners on base in the final game of the series, which came back to hurt them.
“We’ve got to score throughout the game,” Amicone said. “We aren’t going to win a 2–0 ballgame in our conference. We didn’t put pressure on the pitcher until the seventh. We cant do that we need to make adjustments sooner.”
WSU lost the series 2–1, with all three games ending in a 4–3 final score. Weber State’s 3–3 record in conference play also gives them a 15–16 overall record on the season.
“Never feel this way again,” Amicone told her team after the final game. “Learn from this and get better. You’ve got to hit throughout a ballgame. You can’t score one and then another and think it’s over.”
The next home game for WSU softball will be on April 20 against Idaho State University. Until then, the ’Cats have seven road games against three different teams.
