It fell apart in the seventh but Veltien still wrapped up an unconventional complete-game victory and the Wildcats held off the Aggies in a 4-3 decision.

The Wildcats (11-22) did most of their damage early. WSU opened the game with three straight hits: Riley Whalen singled, Taegan Smith tripled her in and Abby Grundy singled home Smith for a 2-0 lead.

Grundy stirred the drink again in the third with a one-out double and scored on an Olivia Birkinshaw single, making it 3-0.

With one out in the seventh, Smith and Grundy both singled. Freshman infielder Sadie Kirk, having sat out for three-plus games with a hand injury, pinch-hit there and WSU’s RBI leader delivered with a grounder in the 5-6 hole. USU’s shortstop had no choice but to toss it to third for a force out, scoring Smith for an important insurance run and 4-0 lead.

Veltien, meanwhile, had it going in the circle, mixing her offspeed pitches and keeping Utah State off balance. The Aggies managed just two runners in scoring position through six innings. Veltien had allowed four hits, struck out one, walked zero and used just 66 pitches to get through those frames.

WSU second baseman Sienna Solis reprised her smooth glove-toss out from Saturday’s win over San Diego with an even more impressive rendition in the bottom of the sixth to keep USU from threatening. Instead of Saturday’s running toss on a slow roller, Tuesday’s version saw Solis dive on a sharply hit grounder up the middle and flip to Smith at second as soon as she had the ball in her glove, recording a key out.

But the Aggies (16-14) got it going in the seventh. Two singles started the inning before Alex Bunton lined a double down the right-field line, scoring pinch-running Layton High alum Brooklyn Pritchett to break the shutout.

With Veltien seemingly tiring, WSU turned to freshman Raina Navarro. She issued two walks on eight straight balls, loading the bases and pushing across another run to make it 4-2, and was pulled.

Veltien took the ball back and got a scare from Ariel Fifita, who crushed a 3-1 pitch foul down the left-field line that would’ve ended the game if fair. Instead, Fifita flew out to Gianna Memoli in center, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly for a 4-3 ballgame.

Bear River High alum Olivia Marble singled up the middle to load the bases and put the winning run in scoring position, but Veltien got the one play she needed to end it. USU’s Giselle Gonzalez bounced the first pitch she saw to Grundy at third; Grundy easily stepped on the bag and tossed to Mariyah Delgado at first base to abruptly stop the Utah State rally.

Of Weber State’s 11 hits, Grundy hit 4 for 4 with two doubles and Birkinshaw batted 3 for 4. Smith was 2 for 4. Marble was USU’s only batter with multiple hits.

Weber State next returns home to open Big Sky play, hosting Portland State for two games Friday and one more Saturday.

Since USU defeated WSU 11-10 at a February tournament in St. George, the Wildcats and Aggies emerge from the weekend to play a rubber match Monday, March 31, in Ogden.