Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Portland State
Wildcats earn series sweep on walkoff sacrifice
3/29/2015 12:20:00 AM | Softball
OGDEN, Utah – These Wildcats just keep finding a way the climb the mountain.
The Weber State University softball team battled back from a 5-0 fourth-inning deficit to capture a dramatic 7-6 walkoff victory over Portland State on Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Softball Field, with freshman second baseman McKinley Brinkerhoff bringing in the winning run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center field.
The Purple and White, who improved to 6-0 in Big Sky Conference play and 25-11 overall, swept their second straight league series and improved to 6-1 at home this season.
“Today we showed a lot of resilience as we bounced back from a rough start,” Weber State coach Mary Kay Amicone said. “I'm really proud of our team finding a way to win today. It wasn't pretty, but it was a key comeback win.”
With the Wildcats trailing 5-0 in the bottom of the fourth, senior infielder Kylee Hogue pinch hit and reached on an error by the Vikings, setting the stage for sophomore right fielder Sara Hingsberger to blast a two-run shot over the fence in left field. It was Weber State's first home run at home this season, and easily sailed over the 225-foot fence and into the branches of a tree at the adjoining Weber County Ice Sheet.
The shot revitalized the Weber State offense as seven of the Wildcats' 12 hits came following the blast.
“Sara's home run really gave us life,” Amicone said. “We battled to tie it up in the fifth and sixth, and the seventh inning was fantastic as Sara and (junior right fielder) Rudi (Barrios) had great at-bats, and then McKinley put a great swing on the walkoff sacrifice fly. (Freshman right-hander) Kirtlyn (Bohling) really did a nice job to stifle their hitters in the last three innings.”
Trailing 5-2 to start the bottom of the fifth, senior center fielder Malia Campos doubled to left center, followed by a single to left field by junior shortstop Aubrey Whitmer to put two on with no outs.
Freshman designated player/catcher Molly Horne came up next and delivered a critical two RBI double to left field, cutting it to 5-4. It's the second straight game Horne hit a multi-RBI double.
Weber State tied the game at 5-5 on a double to right field by Hingsberger that scored sophomore Katelyn Robinson – pinch-running for Horne – from third.
The Vikings regained the lead on an RBI single in the sixth, but once again the Wildcats rallied to even things up, this time on an RBI single to right field by Whitmer that scored junior third baseman Alyson Kulp.
“In today's game, we trusted each other, the process, and our routines,” Hingsberger said. “We chipped away at their lead instead of trying to do big things all at once. It was a great win for us, which proves that we know how to win, no matter what we have to do.
“Overall, this week was another great performance as a team. We came out strong and every person played a role in our successful weekend.”
After Bohling retired Portland State in order in the top of the seventh, the Wildcats went to work in their half of the inning.
Hingsberger hit a one-out single to shortstop, with Barrios hitting a single to left field to move her to third and then reached second on the throw. With runners on second and third, senior catcher/designated player Mylee Brown struck out swinging, but reached on a dropped third strike, loading up the bases with just one out and setting the stage for Brinkerhoff's sacrifice fly.
It was the sixth sac fly of the season for Brinkerhoff, who entered the week tied for No. 2 in the nation in the category.
Up next for the Wildcats is a key Big Sky Conference showdown series with two-time defending regular season champion Idaho State on Friday and Saturday in Pocatello, Idaho. The Bengals (5-1 Big Sky, 20-13 overall) swept Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah, this weekend.
