Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Northern Colorado
HAPPY HOMECOMING: 'Cats' offense rolls in sweep
4/2/2016 3:11:00 AM | Softball
OGDEN – Welcome home, Wildcats.
Playing their first game of the season at Wildcat Softball Field after 30 on the road, the Weber State University softball team came roaring out the gate with a decisive doubleheader sweep of Big Sky Conference rival Northern Colorado on Friday afternoon.
The Wildcats hit .409 and outscored the Bears 18-3, winning the day's opening game 11-1 in five innings before taking the second by a 7-2 count after opening up a 7-0 lead.
“Today we played Wildcat softball,” Weber State coach Mary Kay Amicone said. “I loved our energy and intensity opening at home. Our pitchers did a great job of executing, and we played really solid defense behind them.
“I really thought our offense did a nice job of adding on runs throughout both games. Sara Hingsberger had a fantastic day today, along with Aubrey Whitmer, McKinkey Brinkerhoff, and Molly Horne. We will need to have the same focus and determination tomorrow.”
Weber State improved to 4-1 in Big Sky Conference play, pulling into a tie atop the league standings with Montana and Sacramento State as the Hornets and Grizzlies split a doubleheader on Friday in Missoula, Mont. The Wildcats are now 20-12 overall, marking the third consecutive season that Weber State has reached the 20-win mark under Amicone after doing so just once in the first four seasons of the program's existence.
In the day's opening game, Hingsberger was 3-for-3 with five RBI and two runs scored, and she added another RBI in the later game on a sacrifice fly.
After scoring a single run in the second, the Wildcats' offense came untracked in the third with six runs and then added four more in the fourth to go up 11-0. The Bears plated one in the fifth, but it wasn't enough to cut into the lead and Weber State wrapped it up in just 84 minutes on run-rule.
Sophomore right-hander Kirtlyn Bohling allowed just three hits and one walk against three strikeouts in improving to 12-3 overall and lowering her Big Sky-leading ERA to 2.29.
In the second game, the Wildcats took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, made it 3-0 in the third, and surged ahead 7-0 in the fourth on Molly Horne's two RBI home run over the fence at left center.
Weber State and Northern Colorado (0-5 Big Sky, 4-23 overall) will wrap up their series at Noon on Saturday at Wildcat Softball Field.
