The 2018 season officially reached its conclusion for the Weber State University softball team on May 17. In an NISC Tournament elimination game, the Wildcats fell 7–5 to the University of Nevada.
‘Cats head coach Mary Kay Amicone said she believed her team came out of the gate motivated and ready to compete.
“As far as the game went, I think we started off well,” Amicone said. “We were evenly matched teams.”
The game had the makings of a slugfest in the early going. Nevada got the jump with four runs in the top of the third inning, but Weber State answered with four of their own to immediately knot the contest. A two-run double by senior Rae Gall highlighted the Wildcats’ outburst.
“They (Nevada) hit a pretty good home run (in the top of the third),” Amicone said. “I liked the way we came back to tie the game up.”
After Weber State senior starting pitcher Kirtlyn Bohling surrendered the go-ahead run to the Wolf Pack in the top of the fourth, Amicone called on junior Tatiana Su’esu’e to keep the Wildcats in the game. Su’esu’e kept Nevada at bay over their next three at bats as Weber State trailed by just one run heading into the final frame.
“She (Su’esu’e) is a great athlete,” Amicone said. “Defensively, she made some nice plays as well.”
The decisive blow came in the seventh inning when Nevada junior third baseman Alyssa Mendez deposited a two-out, two-run homer to left to give her team breathing room with a 7–4 lead.
“I think that home run really sealed the deal,” Amicone said. “Three runs versus one run was a big difference.”
Weber State attempted to rally in the bottom of the seventh. Takesha Saltern led off with a double and scored two batters later on Ashlyn Visser’s single. However, Molly Horne then popped out and Rae Gall struck out to end the Wildcats’ season.
Amicone said her team embraced the opportunity to play in the NISC for the second year in a row.
“I think there is a lot to be said of the postseason,” Amicone said. “This added three games (to WSU’s season) and helped us grow as a program and a team.”
Weber State ended the season with a 28–26 record, the fourth consecutive winning campaign for Amicone’s squad. She attributed the success to the leadership of her four graduating seniors.
“We told them how much we appreciate their contributions in their four years,” Amicone said. “They have been a part of a significant change in our culture.”
Bohling, Gall, McKinley Brinkerhoff and Molly Horne were all part of the Weber State graduating class of 2018.
The Wildcats will now take a break after reaching a conclusion on their season.
“They get an opportunity to recover mentally and physically,” Amicone said. “They will take about four weeks off before they have any workouts.”
