Kaneshiro Sets Career Home Run Record As USU Splits Day Two Action at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic

LAS VEGAS – Senior shortstop Kelley Kaneshiro hit two home runs in Utah State’s five-inning win over Cal State Northridge to move into first place in the USU record books in career home runs with 26. She was tied with Sandy Taylor (1997-2000) with 24 career home runs. USU defeated Cal State Northridge 9-1, while in the first game, the Aggies fell to Cal Poly 5-2. Utah State is now 3-6 with the split. Cal Poly improved to 2-7 with the win, while Cal State Northridge fell to 4-5 with the loss. In the win against Cal State Northridge, the Matadors struck first scoring one run in the top of the second inning. With one out, Jaci Carlsen homered to center to give Cal State Northridge a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the second inning, senior center fielder Joreigh Landers singled to left field with one out. Landers advanced a base on a Lindsey Marquez ground out. Starting pitcher sophomore Shelbi Tyteca was hit by a pitch to set the table for freshman right fielder KristaBava, who doubled to right to score both Shelbi Tyteca and Landers. In the bottom of the third inning, Utah State added one more run to take a 3-0 lead. With one out, Kaneshiro hit her first of two home runs to center. It was her third home run of the season. The Aggies added a trio of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Shelbi Tyteca started the inning with a walk. With one out, third baseman Tatem Day doubled down the right field line to move Tyteca to third. A single by catcher Tina Ferguson moved Day to third, but Tyteca was thrown out at the plate for two outs in the inning. Kaneshiro came to the rescue for her second home run of the game and fourth of the season. For the game, Kaneshiro went 3-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Bava ended the game 2-for-3 with three RBI. Utah State put the game away with three more runs in the bottom of the fifth. Bava drove in Landers who reached on a single. Day drove in one more run with a walk, while the final run was driven in by Ferguson to give USU a 9-1 lead after five innings. In the circle, Shelbi Tyteca had one of her best games of the season. Tyteca pitched five innings allowing only one run in the first inning. She allowed only two hits and struck out two. Tyteca evened her record a 2-2 with the win, while Carly Wade took the loss.In the first game of the day, Cal Poly wasted no time scoring five runs in the top of the first inning. This was the first game of the tournament that the Aggies were not the visiting team. Starting pitcher Shelbi Tyteca gave up a lead off single to Kim Westlund. Camille Brown reached on an error by Ferguson that also allowed Westlund to advance to third. Stephanie Correia’s double to center scored both Westlund and Brown to give Cal Poly a 2-0 lead. The Mustangs used back-to-back home runs by Nicole Lund and Ashley Romano to extend the lead to 5-0. In the bottom half of the first inning, senior left fielder Megan McDonald started the inning with a walk. With one out fellow senior Kaneshiro doubled to left to move McDonald to the third base and put two runners in scoring position. Junior first baseman Ashley Ventura singled up to the middle to cut the lead down to 5-1. USU cut the lead to 5-2 in the bottom of the third inning. After two-straight strikeouts, sophomore designated player Kali Cancelosi, starting her first game of the season, hit her first home run of the season to left center. After the first inning, sophomore Mandy Harmon came in to replace Tyteca in the circle. Harmon was stellar allowing no runs and ony four hits in six innings pitched. Utah State concludes action at the UNLV Louisville Slugger Desert Classic on Sunday, Feb. 20 against No. 1 UCLA at 10 a.m. (MT). The two teams met last week with the Bruins earning a 19-0 win. -USU-

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