The Utah softball team (22-11, 4-2 Pac-12) went 1-2 in its first Pac-12 road series against No. 18 Arizona (22-10, 4-2 Pac-12) in Tucson this weekend. The Ute offense was led by junior Hannah Flippen, who had three RBIs and five runs on four hits. Flippen also hammered two home runs in the weekend stint against the Wildcats.
“Those games kinda stung a lot — the two that we lost — just because they were good games, and we were in all three of the games that we played against them,” Flippen said.
Despite losing two of three, head coach Amy Hogue is happy with the way her team played.
“I was really proud of the way we performed for three straight days in Tucson,” Hogue said. “I do believe that we let a series win slip away, but I was still proud of the opportunity to have a chance to win in every game in front of a tough crowd and a great team.”
On Thursday, Utah’s offense showed promise from the first inning but sputtered to the finish line, allowing Arizona to take a 3-1 victory. In the first inning, Flippen hit a solo homer to open up scoring for the day. Wildcat star pitcher Danielle O’Toole took over the game after giving up the home run, not allowing the Utes to score another run in the game.
Miranda Viramontes started off hot, throwing a no-hitter through three complete innings, until Katiyana Maugua blasted a solo home run in the fourth to tie the game at one. In the Arizona fifth, Ashleigh Hughes hit a two-RBI single to put the Wildcats up 3-1, which would end up being the final score.
Viramontes took the loss, falling to 5-3 on the season. The Ute offense went 1-for-14 with runners on base.
On Friday, Utah bounced back, beating Arizona 7-3 in a nine-inning thriller. Both teams were held scoreless through two, but the Utes got two on the board in the third inning, courtesy of a two-run Flippen homer. The Wildcats got a run in their half of the inning, due to an error by Flippen.
Utah was held scoreless for the rest of regulation, and in the seventh inning, Arizona tied the game up when Hughes hit an RBI double to centerfield.
The Utes and the Wildcats were held in check through the eighth inning, but in the ninth — as if to make up for the poor offensive showing the night before — the Utah offense came alive. The Utes scored five runs in the inning, with RBIs from Heather Bowen and Shelby Pacheco and two errors by Arizona. The Wildcats managed one run in the bottom of the ninth, but it wasn’t enough, as the Utes came away with the upset.
Katie Donovan started for the Utes and was replaced by Viramontes in the seventh. Viramontes earned her sixth win, and Hailey Hilburn earned her second save of the season after she closed out the game in the ninth.
On Saturday, Arizona got revenge on Utah, winning in walk-off fashion. The Utes again got out to a great start, with two runs in the first inning courtesy of RBIs by Anissa Urtez and Bowen.
Utah took control of the game in the second inning, after Shelby Pacheco hit a solo homer — her second of the year — to put the Utes up 3-0. Utah added to its lead in the third inning, with another Bowen RBI, but Arizona scored in the third inning to pull within three. In the fourth inning, the Wildcats exploded for three runs, tying up the game.
In the seventh inning, Utah left two runners stranded on base, and Mauga hit a walk-off homer to win the game for Arizona, 5-4.
Sammy Cordova took the loss — her record now stands at 0-1 for the year.
Inclement weather has forced Utah to postpone its two scheduled games this week against Weber State and Idaho State. Utah and Weber State will face off on Tuesday, April 12 at 4 p.m. The date for Utah and Idaho State is currently TBA.
@JoeColesChrony