Weber State University Athletics
Friday, March 17
10 AM MT
Weber State University
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Auburn
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Weber State
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Photo by: Robert Casey
Wildcats Fight Hard Against the Biggest Teams on the Biggest Stage
3/17/2023 6:05:00 PM | Softball
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Weber State took to the Softball Capital of the World and went head-to-head against some of the best teams in the nation on Friday.
The Wildcats took to the USA Softball Complex to start the Omni Hall of Fame Classic against No. 19 Auburn.
There was plenty of scoring action in the second inning from both teams. In the top of the second inning with the Tigers batting, Auburn loaded the bases and the Tigers doubled home three runs to give the 19th-ranked team in the nation a 3-0 lead.
Weber State immediately punched back. Katelyn Whiting doubled to the game and moved to third base on a single from Mia Rushton. The center fielder was called out on an interference ruling which allowed Makayla Donahoo to reach base on a fielder's choice. With runners on the corners, Donahoo dashed for second base. The throw from the Tiger catcher was errant and Whiting waltzed home to get the 'Cats on the board. Freshman Victoria Rey singled through the infield to bring Donahoo to the plate and cut further into the Auburn lead. Weber State's three second inning hits matched Auburn's hit total for the entire game.
WSU fought hard and starter Amanda Johnson pitched very well against the SEC foe, but Auburn hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh that capped off the scoring for the day. The Tigers edged the Wildcats 4-2 despite Weber State holding a 6-3 advantage in the hit column over Auburn.
The Wildcats had one more game on the slate for Friday against the first-ranked and back-to-back defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. Weber State started the second game of the doubleheader with a literal bang.
McKell McCuistion, one of the best hitters and players in the Big Sky this season, hit a hard line drive up and over the fence for her first home run of the season to give WSU a 1-0 lead over the number one team in the nation. Faith Hoe followed that up with a single and Emily Ruhl reached base after seeing four balls, but neither came home to score.
Jayci Finch, Weber State's starter against the Sooners, looked strong in the circle early on and only faced four batters in the first, one of which struck out. The score remained 1-0 until the third inning.
In the Wildcat half of the inning, Mika Chong crushed a pitch off the wall that was just inches away from being the second WSU home run of the game, but she had to settle for a double. The 'Cats couldn't capitalize and bring her home, however.
Oklahoma, who was trailing 1-0 to this point, turned the offense on in a hurry. A two-run double put the Sooners on the board and a home run from the next batter put Oklahoma up 4-1. The Sooners got back on the board in the fifth with a big five-run inning to close out the game 9-1.
NOTABLES
Johnson was the starter and the pitcher of record in the first game against Auburn. She only allowed three hits and struck out six Tigers.
-Finch started and was on the hook against Oklahoma. Finch pitched very well in the first few innings and struck out a pair of Sooners.
-Chong tallied her second career triple in the game against Auburn. She also knocked her fourth double of the season in the afternoon game against Oklahoma.
-McCuistion's home run against Oklahoma was her first of the year. She now has 12 career home runs which moves her into a tie for the eighth most in Wildcat softball history.
QUOTABLES
"You'd think (playing in Oklahoma City) would be intimidating, but the environment made it so fun and we thought that this is what softball should be. We didn't think about what they were ranked. It's the same game and we thought it was fun. (Hitting a home run) was very awesome, especially after I was struggling in the first game. So I went in there with a clear mind and it happened." – McKell McCuistion
UP NEXT
Weber State continues its action in the Omni Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday against 2022 College World Series participant Northwestern at 10 AM MT. You can watch that game on USAsoftball.com. The Wildcats will then have another game against No. 1 Oklahoma at 3 PM MT which can be seen on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow Weber State softball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to stay up to date with everything happening with the Wildcats.
The Wildcats took to the USA Softball Complex to start the Omni Hall of Fame Classic against No. 19 Auburn.
There was plenty of scoring action in the second inning from both teams. In the top of the second inning with the Tigers batting, Auburn loaded the bases and the Tigers doubled home three runs to give the 19th-ranked team in the nation a 3-0 lead.
Weber State immediately punched back. Katelyn Whiting doubled to the game and moved to third base on a single from Mia Rushton. The center fielder was called out on an interference ruling which allowed Makayla Donahoo to reach base on a fielder's choice. With runners on the corners, Donahoo dashed for second base. The throw from the Tiger catcher was errant and Whiting waltzed home to get the 'Cats on the board. Freshman Victoria Rey singled through the infield to bring Donahoo to the plate and cut further into the Auburn lead. Weber State's three second inning hits matched Auburn's hit total for the entire game.
WSU fought hard and starter Amanda Johnson pitched very well against the SEC foe, but Auburn hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh that capped off the scoring for the day. The Tigers edged the Wildcats 4-2 despite Weber State holding a 6-3 advantage in the hit column over Auburn.
The Wildcats had one more game on the slate for Friday against the first-ranked and back-to-back defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners. Weber State started the second game of the doubleheader with a literal bang.
McKell McCuistion, one of the best hitters and players in the Big Sky this season, hit a hard line drive up and over the fence for her first home run of the season to give WSU a 1-0 lead over the number one team in the nation. Faith Hoe followed that up with a single and Emily Ruhl reached base after seeing four balls, but neither came home to score.
Jayci Finch, Weber State's starter against the Sooners, looked strong in the circle early on and only faced four batters in the first, one of which struck out. The score remained 1-0 until the third inning.
In the Wildcat half of the inning, Mika Chong crushed a pitch off the wall that was just inches away from being the second WSU home run of the game, but she had to settle for a double. The 'Cats couldn't capitalize and bring her home, however.
Oklahoma, who was trailing 1-0 to this point, turned the offense on in a hurry. A two-run double put the Sooners on the board and a home run from the next batter put Oklahoma up 4-1. The Sooners got back on the board in the fifth with a big five-run inning to close out the game 9-1.
NOTABLES
Johnson was the starter and the pitcher of record in the first game against Auburn. She only allowed three hits and struck out six Tigers.
-Finch started and was on the hook against Oklahoma. Finch pitched very well in the first few innings and struck out a pair of Sooners.
-Chong tallied her second career triple in the game against Auburn. She also knocked her fourth double of the season in the afternoon game against Oklahoma.
-McCuistion's home run against Oklahoma was her first of the year. She now has 12 career home runs which moves her into a tie for the eighth most in Wildcat softball history.
QUOTABLES
"You'd think (playing in Oklahoma City) would be intimidating, but the environment made it so fun and we thought that this is what softball should be. We didn't think about what they were ranked. It's the same game and we thought it was fun. (Hitting a home run) was very awesome, especially after I was struggling in the first game. So I went in there with a clear mind and it happened." – McKell McCuistion
UP NEXT
Weber State continues its action in the Omni Hall of Fame Classic on Saturday against 2022 College World Series participant Northwestern at 10 AM MT. You can watch that game on USAsoftball.com. The Wildcats will then have another game against No. 1 Oklahoma at 3 PM MT which can be seen on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Make sure to follow Weber State softball on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter to stay up to date with everything happening with the Wildcats.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Shelby Lowe (3-3)
L: Johnson, Amanda (5-8)
Batting:
2B: Aspyn Godwin 1
HR: Denver Bryant 1
RBI: Denver Bryant 1 ; Aspyn Godwin 3
SH: KK McCrary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lindsey Garcia 1 ; Kenadie Cooper 1 ; Makayla Packer 1 ; Denver Bryant 1
SB: Kenadie Cooper 1
Batting:
2B: Whiting, Katelyn 1
3B: Chong, Mika 1
RBI: Rey, Victoria 1
SH: Donahoo, Makayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whiting, Katelyn 1 ; Donahoo, Makayla 1
SB: Donahoo, Makayla 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
2
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
/ Softball
MI
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
IF
/ SoftballOF
/ SoftballOF
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