Softball Tallies a Pair of Wins

Wednesday, April 12

Salt Lake City

2:00 PM

University of Utah

Utah State

4/12/2006 12:00 AM | Softball

April 12, 2006

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah softball team (23-12 overall) never trailed in either game of the doubleheader with Utah State (5-27) this afternoon, bagging 3-1 and 8-1 non-conference wins at Ute Field.

The Utes banged out 24 hits on the afternoon. They scattered eight in the two-run win in game one, and belted an astounding 16 hits in the seven-run, game two victory. The 16 hits were a season high for Utah, marking the 23rd time Utah has out-hit its opponents and the ninth double-digit hitting game this year.

Diana Phillips, Sharee Fonoti and Jackie Wong led the Utes in hitting today. They each had four hits, led by Phillips' and Fonoti's 4-for-6 efforts. Phillips had an RBI and three runs while Wong had three runs and two RBI on 4-for-8 hitting.

Meghan Dyer got the start in game one and pitched a gem. She fanned the first eight batters and nine of the first 10 in improving her record to 11-4. Karina Cannon (9-4 overall) got the nod in game two and pitched as well as her cohort in game one. Neither pitcher walked a batter and both starters only allowed two hits.

Utah returns to the road for a pair of conference doubleheaders this weekend. It plays at Colorado State on Friday and New Mexico on Sunday.

Utah 3, Utah State 1
The Utes turned in a solid, all-around effort in the game-one victory.

Utah rode the defensive styles of Dyer as she fanned the first eight batters and nine of the first 10. She went five innings and tallied 10 strikeouts, allowing only two hits on the afternoon. Dyer didn't allow a single walk.

Utah State broke up Dyer's no-hit bid with two outs in the third. Shawn Bjarnson laid down and beat out a bunt for USU's first hit.

Lindsie Nielsen came on in the sixth inning to pick up her third save of the year.

All of the Utah's offense came in the third inning. With one out and Wong and Phillips on board, Jessica Shiery belted a long ball over the right-center field fence. The three-run shot was Shiery's fifth homer of the year.

USU hurler Leslie Higley surrendered eight hits to Utah in taking the loss for the Aggies. She falls to 0-8 for the year.

Utah 8, Utah State 1
The Utes broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth, plating five runs in the bottom of the frame to take the insurmountable 6-1 lead over the Aggies.

Kelly Matthews' RBI bunt single in the fourth broke the 1-1 stalemate and Wong's two-run triple vaulted the Utes into the lead for good. More insurance came from Phillips' RBI single and a USU fielding error.

The Utes took advantage of another Utah State error in the sixth, plating two more runs for the seven-run lead.

USU's lone run came in the fourth. It was an unearned run that came off of the only Utah error for the game.

Heather Straight took the loss for the visitors. She falls to 5-8 for the year. Straight allowed 10 hits and six runs, only five of which were earned.