March 14, 2009
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score
BOISE, Idaho - Utah Valley University's softball team dropped both games of a double header at Boise State on Saturday after the Wolverines (6-11) gave the Broncos (11-7) too many chances as they lost both, 7-6 in eight innings, and 7-0.
"The girls were not ready to play and not very crisp today," UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "We had a big lead in the first game but just couldn't finish. You cannot give decent teams second chances like we did. I felt like at the plate we looked timid and passive today but tomorrow is another day as we take on Eastern Oregon."
In game number one UVU started off where they left off yesterday as they manufactured an early run in the top of the first to take a 1-0 advantage. The Wolverines put four more runs on the board in the top of the fourth to give them a five run lead, including a bases clearing double by senior Magan Niemann. The lead at the time looked like it would be enough but the Broncos quickly answered back. BSU drove home their first three runs in the bottom of the frame getting themselves within two runs. UVU starting hurler Jessica Martin, who won both games the day before, allowed Boise State's fourth run to come home in the bottom of the fifth giving the Wolverines only a one run lead.
Junior pitcher Amber Sackett then came on in relief and put up a zero in the sixth but two errors on the Wolverines in the bottom of the seventh allowed BSU to tie the game and send it into extra innings all tied up at five apiece. In the top of the eighth UVU junior Jessica Anderson reached base to start out the inning. Junior Megan Kisner followed up with a huge RBI single giving Utah Valley a 6-5 lead heading into the last of the eighth. Boise State was able to rally as the Broncos scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth including scoring the winning run on a sacrifice fly to center to comeback and down UVU, 7-6.
In the second game of the double header Boise State's starter Allie Crump was too much as she pitched a complete game two-hitter. Crump had the answer to slow down Utah Valley's hot hitting as she controlled the Wolverine sluggers from the circle.
Meghan Woodworth was the only Wolverine to have a hit in the second game, with a single. Niemann went 0-for-3 in the game, snapping her 16-game hitting streak. The senior middle infielder had previously hit safely in every game this season up until that point. In the game Niemann hit a blooper into shallow left field where the Broncos left fielder and short stop collided and the ball popped out but on a controversial call it was ruled an error snapping her streak.
Freshmen Amanda Perez and Jessica Martin took the losses from the circle on the day. The loss for Perez was her first as she falls to 4-1 on the season as Martin drops to 2-5.
The two hits in the second game dropped UVU's team season batting average under .300 as it currently sits at .294. Niemann continues her hot hitting season as her batting average is just under .500 at .472, while teammates, junior Jessica Anderson and Woodworth, are batting .351 and .321 respectively.
UVU will have another crack against Boise State as the Wolverines will host a two-game series against the Broncos in Orem on March 23. Utah Valley will play two more games Sunday in Caldwell, Idaho on neutral ground against Eastern Oregon with the double header beginning at 11:00 a.m.
