Softball Opens Season at Kajikawa Classic

Friday, February 9

Tempe, Ariz.

7:30 PM

University of Utah

Cal State Northridge (Kajikawa Classic)

2/10/2007 12:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 10, 2007

Stanford vs. Utah Box Score
Utah vs. Cal State Northridge Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. - The harbinger of spring has arrived as the University of Utah softball team got its 2007 season underway with a 5-2 loss to No. 8 Stanford and a 5-5 tie to Cal State Northridge here in the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz.

Today's games marked the first of the season for Utah as it is now 0-1-1 on the season.

"We came out and showed great effort and hustle in our first games on the dirt," said head coach Angie Jacobs. "Now, our charge is to come out and play hard tomorrow."

The Utes spotted both teams five-run leads today, but had two different results. Stanford had a run in the third and four in the fourth. Utah battled to plate two runs in the sixth but saw its rally fall short to the nationally-ranked power.

Northridge exploded for a five-run second inning only to see its cushion deplete by the seventh. It was Kristie Keller's first collegiate home run that completed the rally. A two-run shot in the seventh made it 5-5.

Hailey Davenport and Staci Hemingway led the offense. They were both 3-for-6 on the day. Davenport went 2-for-3 against Stanford while Hemingway led the effort against CSUN, going 3-for-3.

Utah returns to action for day two of the classic when it plays Texas A&M and Nevada. First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m.

Stanford 5, Utah 2
The Utes left eight runners on base in banging out seven hits as the No. 8-ranked Stanford Cardinal won, 5-2, in remaining a perfect 2-0 on the season.

Stanford finished the evening with seven hits as well. Meghan Dyer took the loss and falls to 0-1 on the season. Karina Cannon came in the fifth inning to relieve Dyer.

Rosey Neill got the scoring started with a solo homer in the third inning, giving Stanford the 1-0. It then rattled off four unanswered runs in the fourth, only three of which were earned.

A leadoff double by Stanford's Jackie Reinhart got the third inning started. Then, an RBI single, a bases-loaded walk, an error and a fielder's choice RBI gave The Cardinal a comfortable 5-0 lead.

Utah tried to chisel away at Stanford's lead, tallying two scores in the sixth. A pair of wild pitches by Missy Penna allowed pinch runner Tori Medina and catcher Andrea Hoffman to easily score.

The Utes also rallied in the seventh when Meghan Crouse belted a one-out double to the fence in center field. But, Penna arose to the occasion, fanning the next two Ute batters to end the game.

Utah 5, Cal State Northridge 5
Utah spotted its rival a five-run lead, only to stage a late rally to salvage the 5-5 tie. The game was called due to lighting problems as the clock turned past the 11 p.m., hour.

A five-run second inning wasn't enough for the Matadors as two runs in the fourth, a run in the fifth and two in the seventh erased Utah's deficit.

Utah's seventh-inning rally came with two outs on the board. Diana Phillips had a lead-off single, only to see the ensuing two batters fly out and ground out, respectively. Keller saved the day with a towering shot over center field, the count full at three balls, two strikes.

The Matadors' second inning revolved around Lauren Olivas' single that plated two runs and Alexandria Alvarado's two-run home run. But, CSUN's bats fell silent after a boisterous second inning.

Davenport's RBI single and Hemingwa's RBI double accounted for Utah's runs in the fourth while Kara Foster had an RBI base knock in the fifth.