Weber State softball: Birkinshaw homers twice, Finch closes out Utah State, 7-6, for season series win
Wildcats hold out following third-inning burst, Merrill picks up first win in the circle
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- Weber State’s Olivia Birkinshaw lets it rip during a home game vs. Utah State on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Wildcat Softball Field in Ogden.
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- Weber State’s Kiaira Smith raises her arms in celebration during a home game vs. Utah State on Monday, March 31, 2025, at Wildcat Softball Field in Ogden.
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- The Weber State softball team is jubilant during a home game vs. Utah State on Monday, March 31, 2025, in at Wildcat Softball State Field in Ogden.
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- Utah State’s Olivia Marbel (left, 33) is tagged out by Weber State’s Sadie Kirk (right, 5) during a regular-season contest Monday, March 31, 2025, at Wildcat Softball Stadium in Ogden.
OGDEN — Jayci Finch needed just a handful of pitches, including the swinging strikeout of Utah State centerfielder Olivia Marble, as Weber State claimed the season series over the Aggies 7-6 through sun and showers at Wildcats Softball Stadium on Monday.
Finch, a Clearfield alum, and freshman RJ Parra protected the start by Weber alum Brooke Merrill (5.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K) with WSU (14-23, 2-1 Big Sky) leading by as much as four through the fifth inning. USU (19-15, 4-2 MWC) rallied off three runs in the sixth to challenge WSU’s labor through the final frame.
“The biggest thing for our closers is just intensity,” Finch said. “Doing the job, getting the job, done, and being efficient with that for the other girls. It’s always a dogfight between us and (Utah State). It’s who’s going to compete the longest and that was huge for us.
“We’ve got a championship mentality here and we want to keep going forward with that.”
Down 1-0 after the first, WSU broke through with three separate home runs in the third: Taegan Smith soloing to left-center, Olivia Birkinshaw’s two-run crusher over the right wall, and another solo off the bat of Kiaira Smith made it 4-1 Wildcats by the fourth.
A two-RBI triple by freshman infielder Sadie Kirk in the fourth and another homer by Birkinshaw (2-4, 3 RBI, 2 HR) in the fifth, soloing her second rake over the left wall, were enough in the face of an Aggies three-run, sixth-inning push fueled by Marble’s two-RBI double off Parra.
Birkinshaw’s team-high eight home runs include three total homers between Monday’s win over Utah State and conference opener with Portland State over the weekend. The California native is on the receiving end of WSU coach Kristin Delahoussaye’s hit-first, think second mentality that’s leaving the first-year skipper encouraged.
“When Liv hits two home runs, it’s hard not to say Liv had a pretty good day today,” Delahoussaye said. “Our hitting philosophy is just solid contact. That’s what we’re looking for and that’s what they get, and sometimes it means we get hardline drives, sometimes it means we get hard ground balls. We just looking at being solid on time to a pitch.”
Contact and small adjustments are taking precedent over hit placement, Delahoussaye said.
“I challenge them the other day (to) score 10 runs every game,” Delahoussaye said. “We’re not necessarily getting 10 runs every game, but when we’re getting out, they’re loud outs, the balls are hit hard, which is what we’re looking for.”
Holding on by a single run, Finch capped things off by striking out Marble to secure the win, improving WSU to 5-1 across its last six outings.
WSU finishes March just 9-11, but with three cancellations vs. Columbia, St. Mary’s and Santa Clara due to inclement weather.
Delahoussaye praised the job of Merrill (1-2), who put together her first win of the season Monday, in addition to the seventh-inning save by Finch. Emmalyn Brinka (2.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K) picked up the loss for the Aggies.
“Today (Merrill) did a really great job not overthinking it,” Delahoussaye said. “Just going out there, throwing good pitches, challenging good hitters, and it worked out great for us.”
WSU returns to the conference calendar Friday for a three-game stop at Montana. First pitch for Friday’s double-header is set for 2 p.m. on ESPN+.
Connect with sports reporter Conner Becker via email at cbecker@standard.net and X @ctbecker.
