Southern Utah Deals Softball Team With Three Losses
April 1, 2006
CEDAR CITY, Utah - The University of Northern Colorado softball team was dealt three straight losses by the Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Katheryn Berg Field on Saturday.
The Bears (7-27) fell by scores of 15-6, 11-3 and 10-8 against Southern Utah. The first game was a continuation of the second game in Friday's doubleheader that was stopped in the fourth inning due to rain.
SUU jumped out to a 5-2 lead after the first inning in the first game, but Northern Colorado roared back with a four-run second inning. The Bears were led by sophomore Mackenzie Barrett's grand slam home run.
The Thunderbirds answered with nine runs in the bottom of the second, which helped them to shut the door on the Bears. SUU added another run in the bottom of the third before claiming the win in five innings. Junior Shea Carpenter (3-6) was credited with the loss after giving up 11 runs on eight hits in 1.1 innings.
In the second game of the day, Southern Utah took a 3-0 lead going into the top of the fourth inning when Northern Colorado fired back with three runs to tie the score. Freshman Alyse Kochenberger got the Bears on the board when she scored on an error by SUU's Marci Pratt. Junior Astrid Yestness then hit an RBI single up the middle to drive in Ashley Martinosky. Sophomore catcher Ashley Geist capped off the scoring when she crossed the plate on an error by SUU's Tiffany Burt.
Southern Utah made sure the tie was short-lived, as the Thunderbirds put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, then four more in the bottom of the sixth. Jessica Milligan picked up the loss after going five innings and allowing nine runs on nine hits.
In the day's final game, the Bears took control of the momentum. Southern Utah's Ashley Christiansen ran into control problems, as she walked in Barrett and freshman Hillarie Van Otterloo. Yestness kept it going with a two RBI single down the right field line that drove in senior Aubrey Barnes and Geist. The Thunderbirds tried to stop the bleeding by bringing in Amy Sauar to pitch, but the strike zone continued to elude SUU. Jennifer Huston scored on a walk by junior Kelsey Dumler. Barrett capped off a seven-run inning with a two RBI single that drove in sophomore Heather Beffert and Yestness.
SUU cut the Northern Colorado lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the second inning when Erin Neiderhauser scored on a wild pitch, Pratt hit an RBI single and Pratt scored on a walk.
The Bears added another run in the top of the fourth when Barnes hit an RBI single to right field that scored Milligan.
But Southern Utah's seven runs over the next three innings proved to be the difference as Northern Colorado couldn't find an answer. Milligan (2-11) picked up the loss after allowing seven runs on seven hits in 3.1 innings of relief.
Yestness finished the day 4-for-8 with two RBI and two runs scored. Barrett went 3-for-10 with six RBI and three runs scored.
The Bears will take some time off before heading back into action against Regis University in a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 18 at Butler-Hancock softball field. It will be Northern Colorado's only regular season games this year.
