Ute Softball Drops Two at Cathedral City Classic

Thursday, February 24

Palm Springs, Calif.

1:00 PM

University of Utah

Long Beach State

Ute Softball Drops Two at Cathedral City Classic

2/24/2011 12:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 24, 2011

Box Score

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. - Naomi Amu had a 0.64 ERA in 11 innings with an RBI but the University of Utah softball team dropped two games to Long Beach State (5-1 in eight innings) and Virginia (4-2) Thursday during the opening day of the Cathedral City Classic at the Big League Dreams Sport Park.

Utah (5-8) posted a .228 batting average on the day, compared to just a .161 clip for its opponents. Sophomore second baseman Jackie Sweet had a team-high three hits in six at-bats, including a pair of doubles. Four other Utes, Amu, Chalese Fankhauser, Whitney Holm and Tara Glover had two hits apiece in the two games.

Long Beach State def. Utah, 5-1 (Eight Innings)
Box Score

The Utes and 49ers combined for seven hits through seven scoreless innings, but Long Beach State was able to lift the lid on the scoring with five runs in the top half of the eighth inning.

Utah fought back with a run on two hits and an error in the bottom half of the frame. Sweet hit a single to left field to place Joni Cook, who was previously on second base due to international tiebreaker rules, on third base. Amu stepped to the plate with one out and laced a single to right-center field for her third RBI of the season. Unfortunately, LBSU was able to get the final two strikeouts to clinch the victory.

Amu pitched her second complete game of the season, going eight innings and only allowing one earned run on seven hits to go with two strikeouts and two walks. Glover posted a team-high two hits with a 2-for-4 performance at the plate. Holm and Sweet also recorded hits for the Utes.

Virginia def. Utah, 4-2
Box Score

The Utes allowed only two hits to UVa, but the Cavaliers scored all four of their runs in the top half of the fourth inning to pick up a 4-2 victory. Utah held an 8-2 advantage in hits and an 11-3 edge in strikeouts.

Holm led off Utah's second inning with a leadoff single to left field then Sweet lined a two-out double to left-center to put runners on second and third base. But Virginia was able to get the third out to keep the game scoreless.

Virginia's fourth-inning began with a double to left-center field then drew a walk to put runners on second and third base. Two consecutive Cavalier batters were hit by a pitch to push across the first run of the game. Then a passed ball allowed UVa to plate its second score, while a fielding error on a bunt allowed Virginia to tack on an additional two runs.

Utah got off to a good start in the bottom of the fifth inning when Sweet doubled to right-center field before Fankhauser roped an RBI double to right to push Sweet across home plate for the Utes' first run.

The Utes' second run of the came when Hannah Clements led off the bottom of the sixth inning with a single to left then scored after a throwing error by the Cavaliers' third baseman.

Amu pitched three innings and did not allow a run or a hit while getting five `Hoos to strike out. Nielson made her only appearance on the day and pitched the final four innings and did strike out six Virginia hitters. She only allowed one earned run but unfortunately was tagged with her fifth loss of the season.

Utah continues its Cathedral City Classic slate Friday against Syracuse at 5:30 p.m. PT.