Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
North Dakota
Wildcats sweep North Dakota in Big Sky opener
3/21/2015 3:07:00 AM | Softball
OGDEN, Utah – After a huge first inning sucked all the drama out of the Wildcats' conference opener, they made up for it – and then some – on the back end of the doubleheader.
A dramatic two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Weber State University softball team to a sweep of the opening day of the Big Sky Conference season.
The Purple and White claimed a 10-0 win in five innings to start the day off – with senior right-hander MaCauley Flint throwing a no-hitter, before a nail-biting comeback in the second game for a 5-4 win, which ended when sophomore left fielder Mackenzi Corta hit a 1-2 pitch down the left field line that scored sophomore right fielder Sara Hingsberger from second base.
“(Junior shortstop) Aubrey (Whitmer) and Sara did a great job of tying up the game and being in scoring position,” Corta said. “I wanted to do whatever I could to help my team win. I'm proud of the girls for coming out and playing hard for our first conference games and getting two W's. It's getting us off to a great start and I'm excited to see us continue to grow stronger.”
With Weber State (2-0 Big Sky, 21-10 overall) trailing 4-3, Whitmer led off the seventh with a single to left field and made it to third base after a wild throw from left field went past first base. After the next two batters flew out, Hingsberger blasted an RBI double to right center that scored Whitmer and tied up the game, setting the stage for Corta's walk-off heroics.
After the Wildcats fell behind 3-0 in the opening frame, freshman second baseman McKinley Brinkerhoff hit her fourth sacrifice fly of the season to right field, scoring Hingsberger to make it 3-1. Weber State tied things up in the third with RBI singles from Whitmer and Hingsberger.
North Dakota regained the lead on a ground-rule double at center field by Shelby Hard.
Freshman right-hander Kirtlyn Bohling (5-3) earned the win in the circle, allowing just four hits and one earned run in six innings of work with seven strikeouts. It's Bohling's second win of the week and her fifth of the season.
“Cauley and Kirtlyn both had outstanding games today,” Weber State coach Mary Kay Amicone said. “Cauley threw a no-hitter and we had some great offense in the opener.
“In the second game, Aubrey, Sara, and Z were unbelievable as we found a way to win. I loved the way we fought back to tie the game. Z just battled and made good contact to score the winning run.”
In the opening game, Weber State roared out to a 7-0 lead at the end of the first inning, made it 9-0 after two and added as final run in the fourth.
Corta was 1-for-1, blasting a two RBI double and getting a third RBI on a bases-loaded walk, while senior catcher Mylee Brown had a two RBI single.
Flint (5-4) faced just two batters over the minimum, walking two, with five strikeouts.
“Today was a great team win,” Flint said. “This is a fun team to pitch for because our lineup is so strong.”
Weber State and North Dakota (0-2 Big Sky, 8-20 overall) will wrap up their three-game Big Sky series on Saturday at Noon at Wildcat Softball Field.
