Seniors' day: Utes edge Aggies at home

The Ute softball team has one more home doubleheader, Wednesday afternoon, but it celebrated its senior day Sunday at Ute Field with a 3-2, bottom-of-the-seventh win over New Mexico State with both seniors and youngsters contributing.

Senior Lindsie Nielsen threw five innings of shutout ball in a rare start for her this season but had to leave when she had trouble seeing out of her left eye. Co-coach Kyle Magnusson said she was headed to the hospital to get it checked out after the senior ceremonies, which she shared with first baseman Ivette Hernandez and second baseman Jackie Wong.

Wong, Utah's leading hitter this season, delivered the winning run, getting a pinball single that caromed off both the pitcher and second baseman as freshman catcher Andrea Hoffman of West Valley City scored to break the 2-2 tie.

"I try to come through when I can," said Hoffman, who had two hits and scored twice as the No. 8 hitter in the Ute lineup. She went to second on sophomore Meghan Crouse's bunt single and got home standing as Wong's hit bounced off bodies into the short outfield.

The other Ute senior, Hernandez, had a hit and seven putouts and a lot of exercise charging NMSU bunts.

"They did a good job of scouting," Magnusson said of the Aggies, who officially bunted six times, three for hits, three for sacrifices, and fouled off a bunch more attempts. Nielsen does not throw overhand well, so the Aggies tried to make her field the bunts, but the Utes tried to make it so third baseman Devina Quintero could take them. Pulled in, Quintero caught a hard, low shot that momentarily staggered her on a fifth-inning double play.

"You just have to have the corners be aggressive," said Hoffman.

Utah scored two in the fifth on singles by Hernandez and Hoffman (a bunt), a sacrifice bunt by Crouse, a walk to Wong, a Diana Phillips line hit down the left-field line and a sacrifice line drive to right by DH Jessica Shierry. NMSU abandoned the bunt in the sixth with a Stephanie Herrera double and Heather Minniti's second home run of the season off reliever Karina Cannon.

It was Utah's fourth straight win and fifth game of the weekend after home doubleheaders with Mountain West Conference foes New Mexico and Colorado State.

"It's a little exhausting, but it gives us more mental toughness," Hoffman said, noting that Utah's team chemistry has allowed it to win games like that all season. Utah is 32-15, including four wins against the WAC's NMSU (25-21).

The Utes have MWC doubleheaders at UNLV and San Diego State on Friday and Sunday before heading to the tournament May 11-13 in Las Vegas. Wednesday, it hosts Utah Valley State at 2 and 4 p.m.

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E-mail: lham@desnews.com