Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Illinois
Wildcat softball earns split in tournament opener
3/19/2016 12:42:00 AM | Softball
SANTEE, Calif. – The Wildcats found a way, and earned a split during the opening day of the San Diego Classic II on Friday.
With San Diego having the bases loaded with no outs down one in the bottom of the seventh, junior right-hander Baylee Reeves earned her first save of the season for the Weber State University softball team, forcing a pop-up to first base before the next batter lined into a double-play to preserve a nail-biting 4-3 win over the Toreros at the Santee Sportsplex.
The win helped the Wildcats salvage a 1-1 day and improve to 14-10 overall after Weber State fell 7-5 to Illinois in the day's opening game.
Against San Diego, Weber State took a 3-0 lead, junior designated player Mackenzi Corta, senior third baseman Alyson Kulp, and junior outfield Sara Hingsberger each hitting two-out RBI singles.
After the Toreros made it 3-1 in the fourth, senior first baseman Krystin Kubo had an RBI single to right field to score Kulp and make it 4-1.
San Diego doubled and them homered to lead off the sixth and cut the deficit to 4-3, setting the stage for the final inning.
Against the Illini, Weber State took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on RBI single by senior shortstop Aubrey Whitmer and an RBI sacrifice fly by Hingsberger.
Illinois scored once in the second and twice in the third to take a 3-2 lead, with the Wildcats tying things up at 3-3 in the fourth on Kulp's RBI double to right center. The Illini regained a 4-3 lead on a two-out RBI triple in the bottom half of the inning.
Sophomore second baseman McKinley Brinkerhoff scored on a throwing error in the sixth to tie things up at 4-4, and the Wildcats regained a 5-4 lead on another Kulp RBI double to center field. Illinois answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth to regain the lead.
In the top of the seventh, Hingsberger singled to lead off and junior KyRae Kogianes singled up the middle to put the tying run on base with just one out. The Wildcats loaded the bases on junior Riana Splinter's walk, but the Illini were able to get the final out and end the rally.
Weber State will be back in action on Saturday against Long Beach State at 10 a.m. MT (9 a.m. Pacific), followed by a 12:30 p.m. meeting with San Jose State. The Wildcats will wrap up the tournament on Sunday against St. Mary's at 12:30 p.m
