Softball Sweeps New Mexico

Sunday, April 17

Salt Lake City, Utah

TBA

University of Utah

New Mexico

4/17/2005 12:00 AM | Softball

April 17, 2005

Utah-New Mexico -- Game 1 Box Score
Utah-New Mexico -- Game 2 Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah softball team blanked the New Mexico Lobos here this afternoon in picking up a pair of conference victories, 1-0 and 3-0.

The Utes rode the pitching performances of Lindsie Nielsen and Brianna Gourdin as the duo combined to allow a meager six hits on the day. Utah improves to 15-22 overall and to 3-7 in Mountain West play. The Lobos stumble to 13-24 and 3-7.

Nielsen got the start in game one and fanned four batters in allowing two walks and four hits. Gourdin tossed a gem of her own in shutting down the Lobo offense as well. She struck out three batters and allowed only two hits in game two. It was the third complete-game shutout for each of the Ute hurlers this season.

Ivette Hernandez had the biggest bat on the afternoon. She went 3-for-6 for the Utes, plated three of the team's four RBI and belted out two doubles. Bryanne Durrence and Jackie Wong had a multi-hit afternoon as well, each going 2-for-5 on the day.

New Mexico 0, Utah 1

Final at-bat heroics lifted the Utes past their Mountain West Conference rivals in game one.

With runners at second and third in the bottom of the seventh, Sarah Lyman hit a pinch-hit single up the middle. The bounding ball to center scored Bryanne Durrence from third and gave the Utes the 1-0 win.

For the most part, it was a pitchers' dual with both pitchers holding their respective opponents to four hits apiece. Nielsen struck out four batters in the winning effort while UNM's Katie Gregg had a perfect game through four and one-third innings.

Durrence broke up Gregg's perfect bid when she bunt for a hit with one out in the fifth.

Utah had the chance to break the scoreless tie in the fifth as well. With runners on first and second, Kate Nygaard tried to score from second on an error. However, Kristine Schmallen gathered herself together to throw Nygaard out at the plate to end the inning.

New Mexico 0, Utah 3

Run support and all-star pitching enabled the Utes to complete the sweep on the afternoon.

Only the first and second-to-last batter tapped Gourdin for hits while the Utes pegged seven hits off of UNM's Caley Petterson. Gourdin only allowed three runners to reach base, one of which came off of a fielding error in the fourth.

The Utes would get all they needed in the fifth as they bust the game open by plating all three runs. With the bases juiced, Ivette Hernandez sent a shot to the fence in left-center field. The bases-clearing double scored Sharee Fonoti, Wong and Devina Quintero.

New Mexico's lone hits were singles to center by Ryanne Hodgins in the first and Schmallen in the seventh.