The Utah softball team split its doubleheader on Thursday to open up the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, Calif., first losing to No. 12 Oklahoma, but rebounding to beat Cal State Fullerton.
In its first game of the day, Utah (9-4) fell to the Sooners (7-3) 6-2, ending the Utes’ five-game winning streak. The Sooners struck first, when Erin Miller singled through the right side, scoring Sydney Romero in the first inning. Oklahoma tacked on another run in the third, courtesy of Miller, who stole home to make it 2-0.
In the bottom of the third, Utah tied the game after Anissa Urtez doubled to right field for her tenth RBI of the season, scoring Hannah Flippen and Delilah Pacheco. This was Urtez’s third multi-RBI game.
In the fourth, Oklahoma broke the tie after Paris Townsend, pinch-hitting for Kelsey Arnold, laced the ball up the middle to make it 4-1.
In the next three innings, Utah only mustered one hit — a Flippen triple — and the Sooners scored two more runs. In the sixth, Nicole Pendley singled to right field, scoring Shay Knighten. In the seventh, the Sooners kept piling it on when Tori Nirschl singled home Knighten to make it 6-2.
The winning pitcher was Oklahoma’s Kelsey Steven, who threw all seven innings, allowing four hits, two runs and two walks. She struck out four and improved her record to 4-1.
For Utah, Miranda Viramontes took her first loss of the season, pitching 3.2 innings and allowing eight hits and four runs, all of them earned. Katie Donovan walked to the circle in the fourth and pitched 2.1 innings, allowing four hits and one run. Freshman Hailey Hilburn finished off the seventh for the Utes, allowing two hits and one run.
Utah started a new winning streak against Cal Sate Fullerton (8-3), beating the Titans 7-2. The Utes scored early, as Heather Bowen singled in Pacheco, starting a new hitting streak for Bowen (her streak ended at six against Oklahoma). CSF rallied back in the top of the second with an RBI single to center field, scoring Sydney Colezo to tie the ballgame at 1-1.
But Utah responded when Shelby Pacheco broke the tie in the Utes’ half of the inning with a solo shot to center field for her first home run of the season. The Titans again knotted up the contest, however, in the third inning on a Melissa Sechrest RBI single that brought in Adele Leuma.
And just like earlier, Utah responded, taking a 3-2 lead on Bridget Castro’s first triple of the year, bringing in Bowen from first.
Utah exploded for a four-run fourth inning, taking a commanding 7-2 lead. Kristen Stewart hit her second double of the year, scoring Bowen, Urtez and Flippen. On the next at-bat, Kay Kay Fronda reached on a fielding error by Colenzo, sending Stewart home. CSF threatened in the fifth inning with a runner on second with two outs, but Colezno grounded out to Urtez for the third out. Both teams were held scoreless for the remainder of the game.
Donovan got the start and her fourth straight win for the Utes, allowing five hits, two runs and striking out three through four innings of work to improve her record to 4-3. Viramontes took over in the fifth inning, closing out the game and only allowing one hit while striking out five.
Cal State Fullerton brought in four different pitchers to try and douse Utah’s hot offense. Desiree Ybrra started and took the loss, allowing four hits and three runs.
The Utes continue tournament play with Long Beach State on Friday. First pitch is at 7 p.m. MST.
@JoeColesChrony