Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
North Dakota
SWEET SWEEP: Wildcats overpower North Dakota
3/21/2015 11:30:00 PM | Softball
OGDEN, Utah – The Wildcats are locked-in, and it showed during their opening league series.
Riding a 13-hit performance, the Weber State University rolled to a 9-1 victory in five innings over North Dakota at Wildcat Softball on Saturday afternoon.
The win wrapped up a three-game Big Sky Conference series sweep for the Purple and White, who won their seventh straight game and improved to 22-10 overall (3-0 Big Sky).
The 22 wins matches the program's new-era high water mark, and is tied for the third most wins in team history. It also marked the first time during the new era that WSU has swept a league series.
“I really loved the way we came out to play this weekend,” Weber State coach Mary Kay Amicone said. “Improvement is the name of the game throughout conference play. Our pitchers really threw well, and team offense was there for us.”
As a team, Weber State batted .458 with 33 hits and outscored North Dakota 24-5 during the series.
Sophomore left fielder Sara Hingsberger was 6-of-9 with six RBI, three triples and five runs scored during the series, and was credited with the walkoff RBI on Saturday after a bases-loaded walk ended the game early on run rule.
Hingsberger's strong week began during the Wildcats' doubleheader with in-state rival Utah Valley on Wednesday, and carried into the weekend. In five games, the Eagle, Idaho, native was 10-for-14 (.714), with seven RBI, nine runs scored, and five extra-base hits. She scored the game-winning runs in two of the wins, hitting a solo home run in a 6-5 win over UVU and racing home from second base during a come-from-behind win over North Dakota on Friday evening.
“The biggest thing I focused on was trusting myself and having fun,” Hingsberger said. “Whenever I would start thinking too much about an at-bat or what the pitcher is throwing, I'd just stop and tell myself to have fun.
“On Wednesday, before our games against UVU, Coach Amicone told me not to worry about mechanics and just have fun, and it really stuck. I couldn't be happier with how our team has been performing. It's a great feeling to know you have an entire team to back each other up.”
Senior right-hander MaCauley Flint (6-4) earned the win in the circle, her second of the series, throwing a two-hitter with one walk against five strikeouts in four innings of work.
Senior center fielder Malia Campos and junior shortstop Aubrey Whitmer each went 3-for-4 with two runs scored during Saturday's win.
Weber State will be back in action on Tuesday as the Wildcats' seven-game homestand continues against in-state rival BYU. First pitch between the Wildcats and Cougars (20-8) is set for 3 p.m.
