The Utes’ two games against Weber State on Wednesday could not have been more different. In the opener, Utah put up double-digit runs for the first time since February en route to an 11-2 win. In the nightcap, however, the Utes struggled for offense and lost 6-1.
When the doubleheader was over, Utah players were far more focused on the disappointing loss than the win.
“We’re just not making adjustments at the plate,” second baseman Jackie Sweet said after the Utes were outhit 13-6 in the second game. “We should be after our first go-around [and] even before that.”
Sweet said one of the main issues against Wildcats pitcher Kylee Colvin was that Utah hitters should have focused on hitting balls to the opposite field instead of trying to pull them.
While the Utes struggled to find success at the plate in the nightcap, they certainly had it in Wednesday’s opening game. Utah came out swinging and put up six runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Utes continued to distance themselves throughout the contest, scoring in the third, fourth and fifth frames.
The fifth proved to be the final nail in the coffin, as center fielder Chalese Fankhauser hit a three-run home run to left field. It was one of two hits for Fankhauser on the game. Sweet was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate and extended her hitting streak to 15 games.
The second game began much slower than the first, as neither team scored until the Wildcats put up two runs in the top of the third inning. One came on a single and the other on a throwing error from Shelbi Everett. Kristen Stewart hit a solo home run for Utah in the fourth, but that’s all the offense the Utes could muster.
“Weber State played a great game against us,” said Utah head coach Amy Hogue. “They came out and attacked and wanted to win that game more than us … When we play hard. We can beat that team with any of our lineups, and I still believe that.”
Fankhauser said the pitching in the second game wasn’t something the Utes haven’t seen before, but they were just unable to adjust to it. She was disappointed the performance was a step backward from some of Utah’s contests against Pac-12 opponents.
“It is different from the Pac-12, but then again, we seem to make adjustments in the Pac-12 a lot better than we did today,” Fankhauser said.
Because of the Utes’ tough Pac-12 schedule, every game out of conference is a must-win if they want to earn a bid in the NCAA Tournament. To qualify, the 17-21-1 Utes must finish with at least a .500 record.
“A loss like this is detrimental,” Hogue said. “It could mean the difference [between going to the tournament or not]. It doesn’t mean we can’t get to .500, because we can, but when you lose to a team with a RPI as low as theirs, [the selection committee] considers that when picking at-large teams.”
The loss marked Utah’s fourth to teams with an RPI of 150 or higher.
The Utes will return to Pac-12 play this weekend when they take on Oregon State in a three-game series in Corvallis, Ore.