Utah Softball Wins a Pair at UVU Invite

Saturday, April 2

Salt Lake City

4:30 PM

University of Utah

Utah Valley

4/2/2011 12:00 AM | Softball

April 2, 2011

SALT LAKE CITY - Brooke Olson went 3-for-5 with a home run and Generra Nielson had 15 strikeouts in nine innings of work as the University of Utah softball team defeated Northern Colorado, 5-3, and Utah Valley, 6-2, in the Utah Valley Invitational Saturday at Ute Softball Field.

Utah (19-16) outscored its opponents 11-6 on the day as the Utes established a season-long four-game win streak with the win over UVU. Utah has won eight of its last nine outings.

"During the first part of the year, we left so many runners on base and the talk of the team was `Who's going to get the big RBI's?'," Utah head coach Amy Hogue said. "We finally found ways to get that key hit. No matter how we're getting on base, whether our opponents boot one or we draw a walk, we've been getting that timely hitting and we've been winning ballgames."

Nielson totaled 9.0 innings pitched and struck out 15 batters while only walking a pair. The Blanding, Utah native allowed two earned runs on six hits as her opponents only hit .176 against her.

"When someone goes and strikes out 10 then half of the other outs are relatively easy plays like routine fly balls, it doesn't take much offense to have enough run support," Hogue said.

Olson registered three hits in five at-bats to go with an RBI and two runs scored. She totaled six bases for a 1.200 slugging percentage in the two games. Kelsi Hoopiiaina was the only other Ute to have multiple hits on the day as she was 2-for-5 with a pair of RBI and a pair of runs scored.

Utah def. Northern Colorado, 5-3
Box Score

Facing a 3-2 deficit, Chalese Fankhauser delivered Utah's second triple of the game with one out in the sixth then after a pair of intentional walks before Sandi Bowles looped a double over the head of the Northern Colorado left fielder to clear the bases and give the Utes a 5-3 advantage.

Six different Utes registered hits in the contest and Bowles was credited with a career-high four RBI.

On the mound, Naomi Amu started and went 5.0 innings and did not allow an earned run on five hits with two strikeouts and one walk.

Nielson came on for the final two innings and earned the win after Utah rallied in the sixth inning for the win. She improved to 13-10 on the year after striking out five and only walking one after facing the minimum six batters through two innings.

Utah pushed the first run across the plate with Tia Palauni drew a leadoff walk and Hoopiiaina dropped a bunt single to put runners on first and second base. Whitney Holm then laid the second consecutive bunt down for a sacrifice to advance the runners to second and third base. Bowles then grounded back to the pitcher to allow pinch runner Kayla Ensminger to plate the initial run.

Northern Colorado came back with three runs in the top of the third inning that started with a walk then a single through the right side of the Utah defense. After Utah got two straight outs, the Wolverines were able to put together a three-run rally that was keyed by a pair of Ute errors.

Tia Palauni scorched a one-out triple down the right-field line in the fourth inning before Hoopiiaina hit an RBI ground ball to the Northern Colorado shortstop to score Utah's second run of the game.

Utah def. Utah Valley, 6-2
Box Score

Nielson started the second game against Utah Valley and notched her ninth complete game of the season, going 7.0 innings and allowing two earned runs on 10 strikeouts to go with only one walk to improve her record to 14-10 this year.

Offensively, Olson was 2-for-3 against the Wolverines with two runs scored

The Utah offense held up its end of the bargain by getting on the scoreboard first in the third, beginning when Bowles drew a one-out walk. An error by the Wolverine third baseman allowed Bowles to take second base. She then stole third base and scored on a ground ball to the UVU shortstop hit by Hoopiiaina.

The Utes benefited from timely hitting to plate a pair of runs in their fourth at-bat as Olson singled then a throwing error by UVU allowed Cheyella Meyers to reach and put runners on first and second base. Jackie Sweet came through with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third base. Tara Glover punched a two-run single to right field for her 13th and 14th RBI of the year.

After UVU cracked the scoreboard for the first time with a pair of runs in the fifth inning, the Utes added three more runs to their total in their half of the frame. Holm connected for a two-out home run over the center-field wall then Olson made it back-to-back home runs by pounding a 1-0 pitch over the left-field wall to put Utah ahead 6-2. Holm now leads the team with six home runs this season and has hit 25 over her career. Olson has now hit two round-trippers this season and has hit nine during her career.

"Whitney has a very good swing. But when her timing is off, she can struggle, just like every hitter," Hogue said. "Her swing has always been there and when her timing is on, she can hit the ball out of the park for us."

The day's Utah Valley Invitational games were moved from Orem, Utah Valley's Wolverine Field due to construction on the facility.

The Utes will host Utah Valley for the second consecutive game Tuesday at 4 p.m., at Ute Softball Field.