Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Arizona State
'Cats Drop Two More in Tempe
3/13/2011 3:48:00 AM | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Weber State softball team dropped its final two games at the Arizona State Diamond Devil Invitational on Saturday, wrapping up the tournament with a 1-4 record following a 6-4 loss to Florida-Gulf Coast and a 12-0 loss to the host-Sun Devils.
The Wildcats dropped behind Florida-Gulf Coast early as the Eagles posted a three-run first inning to take a 3-0 lead. Jessica Barnes doubled down the left field line for two RBI to cap the rally.
Weber State responded with a three-run frame of its own in the top of the second. After Lyndsey Minnich reached on a hit-by-pitch, Brandi Christopher singled, setting up Britinie Hardine, who launched a three-run homer for her first long ball of the year.
The Eagles bounced back with a single run in the bottom of the second to take a 4-3 lead. Florida-Gulf Coast held the lead until the top of the fifth, when Shaila Rivers took Catherine McDaniel out of the park with a shot to right field for a game-tying homer.
The game remained tied until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Kirsten Bembnowski hit a two-out, two-run, walkoff homer, sending the Wildcats to their third-straight loss.
Hardine came on in relief in the first inning for the Wildcats, replacing starter Angela DeVries, who was chased after recording only two outs. Hardine went on to pitch six strong innings, scattering four hits and striking out a career-high 11 batters. The senior from Willcox, Ariz. allowed only a single unearned run until Bembnowski's walkoff handed her her first loss of the season.
Hardine also had a good day at the plate for the Wildcats against the Eagles, going 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBI.
In Weber State's final game of the tournament, the Wildcats ran into a buzzsaw in the No. 7-ranked Sun Devils, who earned their 19th-straight victory. The Arizona State offense went to work in the first as they recorded a single run on an RBI double from Krista Donnenwirth. Donnenwirth struck again in the third with a three run shot to right center to make it 4-0.
The big inning came in the fourth for the Sun Devils, as they posted eight runs with two outs, taking advantage of three walks with four hits to put the game away.
Weber State was unable to find a run in the game, as Mackenzie Popescue scattered five hits over five innings of work for the shutout.
Rivers went 2-for-3 against the Sun Devils, and put together a 3-for-7 day overall. Hardine added to her impressive game against Florida-Gulf Coast with a 1-for-2 performance against Arizona State for a 3-for-5 day altogether.
The Wildcats finish non-conference tournament play at 3-9 overall. They will head into the non-conference series play portion of their schedule this Tuesday as they face Dixie State College in St. George, Utah for a one-day, two-game series.
