Utah Softball Blanked at No. 15/15 UCLA, 5-0

Friday, April 20

Los Angeles, Calif.

7:00 PM

University of Utah

UCLA

4/20/2012 12:00 AM | Softball

April 20, 2012

Box Score

LOS ANGELES - All three members of the University of Utah softball team's pitching staff combined for a solid performance, but the Utes lost to No. 15/15 UCLA, 5-0, on Friday at Easton Stadium.

All three pitchers on the Utah (23-19, 0-13 Pac-12) staff appeared in the contest. Freshman Mariah Ramirez took the ball for her fourth start of the season. She allowed only one earned run on only two hits to the Bruins through 4.0 innings with only two walks and a strikeout. Unfortunately, Ramirez dropped to 2-3 in pitching decisions this season with the loss.

Senior right-hander Generra Nielson came on next for 1.1 innings of relief, before sophomore Naomi Amu closed the game by getting the final two outs.

The Utes recorded their fourth straight game without an error in the field as they have not been charged with an error since Apr. 11 at No. 13/13 Arizona. Utah has not committed an error in 16 games this season and Utah is 8-8 in those contests.

In the second frame, senior third baseman Whitney Holm struck out, but reached first base after the third strike then junior second baseman Jackie Sweet laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached second base after a throwing error by UCLA to put Holm and Sweet on second and third base with only one out. Unfortunately, the Bruins were able to get back-to-back strikeouts to keep the Utes off the scoreboard.

Junior shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina registered Utah's first hit of the ballgame, a one-out single to center field, in the top half of the third. The Riverton, Utah native is second on the team with 40 hits this season.

Utah's senior first baseman Tia Palauni lined a single through the right side of the Bruin defensive alignment with one out in the sixth frame. Palauni, a Taylorsville, Utah native, has now recorded 24 hits this year.

UCLA lifted the lid on the scoring with a solo home run over the left-center field wall by Alyssa Tiumalu and then the Bruins added a second in the fifth as Samantha Camuso hit a solo homer to right to put UCLA up 2-0. The Bruins extended their lead to five runs with three more scores in the bottom of the sixth.

The Utes and Bruins continue their Pac-12 Conference series tomorrow at 6 p.m. PT. Fans can keep up with the action by listening to the play-by-play and watching the live stats at uclabruins.com.