The Utes’ problems with consistency continued over the weekend as they lost two of three games to the Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis, Ore.
For the majority of both losses, Utah played from behind and couldn’t muster enough offense to come back.
“The momentum of the game, if you let it happen, anybody can put a six spot on anybody [else],” Utes head coach Amy Hogue said. “It happened to us on [Sunday] and I think we could have prevented it by staying aggressive. That is the most disappointing part of it for me, was us not answering.”
With Sunday’s contest tied at two heading into the bottom of the second inning, the Beavers put up six runs and Utah was held scoreless the rest of the way. Oregon State won 10-2. It was the second time during the weekend that the Utes were held to two runs, as the Beavers won 6-2 on Friday.
As much as Utah struggled on Friday and Sunday, it certainly had success at the plate on Saturday.
Largely thanks to Kate Dickman, the Utes put up 11 runs in the second game of the series en route to an 11-2 win. Dickman hit two home runs and drove in seven runs, which tied a Utes record for most RBI in a game. The win was Utah’s first conference road victory since joining the Pac-12.
Dickman’s performance Saturday was only part of a big weekend for the sophomore, as she drove in both of the Utes’ runs on Friday and scored on a sacrifice fly on Sunday.
Though Dickman performed well, she too pointed to a lack of momentum as the reason for Utah’s overall struggles during the weekend.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t fall your way and we didn’t really have the momentum in the two games that we lost,” Dickman said. “It didn’t have anything to do with me doing better than anyone, and that’s not how it is at all. I know that we’re going to come back stronger next weekend. I’m excited to play ASU.”
Dickman said even the elements seemed to be against the Utes on Sunday.
“[Sunday] nothing went our way,” she said. “The weather, every time we stepped on the field, got worse it seemed like. We just really couldn’t get going.”
Much of Utah’s offensive success this season has come from a few players and others haven’t been able to step up, something that has frustrated Hogue.
“I have a few kids at the top of my lineup that are completely carrying us to winning ball games,” Hogue said. “When we don’t win ball games it is when [opponents] pitch around those kids and try to make the bottom of our lineup win the game for us and we haven’t been able to do it.”
With just 13 games remaining, every contest is crucial if the Utes want to make the postseason. Up next for Utah on the schedule is a game against Utah State tomorrow in Logan.