Utah Softball Completes Series with No. 19/15 Oregon

Sunday, April 15

Salt Lake City

11:00 AM

University of Utah

Oregon

Utah Softball Completes Series with No. 19/15 Oregon

4/15/2012 12:00 AM | Softball

April 15, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY - The University of Utah softball team lost a pair of games to No. 19/15 Oregon at Ute Field on Sunday at Ute Field. The two teams finished yesterday's postponed game, which ended 6-2 in favor of Oregon, before the Ducks took an 11-1 win over the Utes in six innings during the second game of the day.

The Utah (23-18, 0-12 Pac-12) offense was bolstered by junior shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina throughout the day as she posted a 2-for-3 effort in game two. She was the lone Ute with multiple hits during the Oregon series.

Senior right-hander Generra Nielson threw eight innings between the two games, where she fanned five Ducks to improve her season total to 235 and she now has 434 punch-outs during her time as a Ute.

Game 1: No. 19/15 Oregon def. Utah, 6-2
Box Score

Nielson, who just entered the game before yesterday's postponement, pitched the remaining 4.2 innings of the game today for Utah. She allowed three earned runs to the Ducks on six hits. Sophomore Naomi Amu got the start in the circle for the Utes and went 2.1 innings yesterday, allowing three earned runs on eight hits to go with three strikeouts and one walk. Her record this season fell to 4-3 with the decision.

In yesterday's play, Utah scored two runs in the bottom of the second inning, starting with a single to right field by senior third baseman Whitney Holm. Freshman Marissa Mendenhall then laced a double off the right-field fence to put runners on first and third. Amu followed by coming up with a hard-hit groundball to the Duck shortstop. The throw pulled the Oregon first baseman off the base and allowed two Ute runs to score.

The third Utah hit so far in the contest came when Hoopiiaina singled up the middle of the Oregon defense to lead off the first inning for the Utes.

The Ducks got on the board first Christie Nieto and Alexa Peterson hit back-to-back solo home runs. UO then strung together three singles to plate their third run of the day

When play resumed today with one out in the top of the third, there were Duck runners on second and third base. Peterson started the action by drawing a walk, but fortunately Nielson was able to get Duck hitters to four out to the catcher and ground to third to leave the bases loaded.

Senior first baseman Tia Palauni and freshman outfielder Kate Dickman led off the fourth and fifth frames with solid base hits to left field, but the Utes were unable to put together a scoring threat.

After Oregon added two runs in their half of the fifth, junior outfielder Katelyn Elliott collected a single to left field off a 1-2 pitch, but unfortunately the Utes were kept off the scoreboard.

Game 2: No. 19/15 Oregon def. Utah, 11-1 (6 innings)
Box Score

Hoopiiaina's 2-for-3 effort at the plate in the series finale included a pair of singles. She is now second on the squad with 39 hits this season.

In her 33rd start of the season, Nielson went 3.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits to go with two strikeouts. With the loss, her record dipped to 17-3 this year. Freshman Maria Ramirez pitched the remaining 2.2 innings of the game for the Utes. She yielded three earned runs on four hits.

Hoopiiaina and Elliott both looped singles over the head of the Oregon second baseman to put runners on first and second base with one out in the first inning, but the Ducks were able to turn a double play to extinguish the Ute rally.

In the bottom of the second inning, the Utes had runners on first and second with one out after Dickman was hit by a pitch and Holm knocked a 1-1 delivery up the middle of the Duck defense for a single. The Ducks kept Utah's score blank by getting a ground ball to their shortstop as well as a strikeout.

Palauni cracked the first pitch she saw to lead off the third inning then Hoopiiaina lined a drive off the glove of the Duck second baseman to put runners on first and third base. Hoopiiaina then maintained her aggressiveness and stole her team-high 13th base of the year. Mendenhall converted the scoring chance by launching a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Palauni for Utah's first run of the contest. Mendenhall reached double-figures for RBI as she now has driven in 10 runs this year.

Unfortunately, Oregon scored seven unanswered runs to put the run-rule into effect and take an 11-1 victory.

The Utes hit the road for a series at No. 16/17 UCLA next weekend, starting Friday at 7 p.m. PT. Listen to a live audio broadcast and follow the live stats at uclabruins.com.