Utah Softball Outscores New Mexico, 12-9

Saturday, April 23

Salt Lake City

1:00 PM

University of Utah

New Mexico

4/23/2011 12:00 AM | Softball

April 23, 2011

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - Senior Brittany Parker was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two home runs and four RBI to help the University of Utah softball team to a 12-9 win over New Mexico Saturday at Ute Field.

Utah (27-17, 5-1 MWC) has won four consecutive Mountain West Conference games and has taken 12 of its last 13 contests. The Utes have outscored their opponents 49-14 in their last four games.

There were a total of seven home runs hit in the game, three by Utah and four by New Mexico.

"We had to hit with New Mexico and we were successful," Utah head coach Amy Hogue said. "[New Mexico] had seen Generra [Nielson] a lot so they were going to get some more runs because they're a great hitting team. It was fun to win a game with our bats."

Parker went 3-for-3 with four RBI on two home runs as Utah's designated player. The Murray, Utah native now has 12 runs batted in over her career and she hit her second and third home runs of the season. She now owns four home runs over her career.

"[Parker] has been swinging the bat well," Hogue said. "I've been using her when I knew she would have success and she's done it every time. She's such a team player. When she's called on, she gives us everything she has. When she's not in the starting lineup, she's the same exact person. She gives to her team every day, no matter what she's called upon to do."

Whitney Holm and Chalese Fankhauser came through with two hits apiece. Holm also added two runs scored and an RBI to take over the team lead with 30 runs driven in this season.

Generra Nielson went 5.0 innings, allowing seven earned runs on 10 hits. She registered three strikeouts and did not issue a single walk to a Lobo hitter. The Blanding, Utah native has been awarded the win in each of her last 10 decisions and now stands 19-10 this season.

Naomi Amu came on to close the game and allowed one earned run on three hits in 2.0 innings of work. She struck out two Lobo hitters and walked one.

The Lobos opened the game with four runs in the bottom of the first inning when Jessica Garcia came up with a three-run homer over the right-center field wall. Stefanie Carramusa came up with one out and hit a solo shot over the left-field fence to put the Lobos ahead 4-0.

"Most of the year, we had been winning with our pitching and defense," Hogue said. "We've only lost one game this season when the opponent scores more than three runs. Then New Mexico scored four in the first so we had to challenge ourselves to outhit them. It was a gut-check and I liked the way we responded."

Utah came back with a seven-run second inning. The Utes started their rally with a one-out single by Kelsi Hoopiiaina then Holm delivered another single to put runners on first and third base. Parker then lined an RBI single to left field that allowed Hoopiiaina to score Utah's first run. Parker now owns eight RBI this season. Jackie Sweet then drew a walk and Katelyn Elliott entered the game as a pinch hitter and slapped a single underneath the glove of the Lobo third baseman to drive in her fifth run of the season. Brooke Olson knocked a double that deflected off the glove of the UNM third baseman to tie the game. Tara Glover kept the inning going by hitting her first career home run, a three-run shot over the left-field wall that gave Utah the lead for the first time, 7-4.

Parker made the margin 8-1 with a leadoff home run to start the third inning. It was her second home run of the season and the third of her career.

After the Lobos got a solo home run from Shenise Cox in the top of the frame, Utah answered by tacking on another run in bottom of the fourth as Glover drew a walk then stole base before Fankhauser slapped a base hit to left field to advance Glover to third. Palauni then nailed a single up the middle of the Lobo defense then Holm followed with another RBI single up the middle for her first RBI of the game. Parker made it a big inning when she pulled a 2-2 pitch for her second home run of the game, a high fly ball that sailed over the left-field wall, that gave the Utes two more runs.

Garcia tagged her second home run of the contest, a two-run shot, with one out in the top of the fifth inning and Chelsea Anaya knocked a two-run single to right-center field to set the final margin at 12-9.

New Mexico (17-21, 3-5 MWC) was led by a two-hit, five-RBI performance by Garcia.

The Utes travel to Utah State for a 3 p.m., game on Tuesday. Utah then concludes its home schedule with three games next week, starting Thursday against UNLV at 4 p.m.