Utah Softball Swept By No. 1 California

Saturday, April 7

Salt Lake City

1:00 PM

University of Utah

California

4/7/2012 12:00 AM | Softball

April 7, 2012

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - Freshman outfielder Kate Dickman registered two hits and two RBI on the day, but the University of Utah softball team dropped a pair of contests to top-ranked California, 11-3 (in five innings) and 12-3 (in six innings), Saturday at Ute Field.

Utah (23-12, 0-6 Pac-12) had three players with multi-hit days, led by Dickman, who hit a two-run single in the first game as well as a base hit in the second contest of the day. She is third on the squad this season with 29 hits and is tied for fourth place on the team with 15 RBI during her debut campaign with the Utes.

Junior shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina and senior third baseman Whitney Holm both turned in two hits apiece, while Holm was credited with her 32nd RBI of the season. Hoopiiana went a perfect 2-for-2 in stolen base attempts and also drew two walks to post a team-high .667 on-base percentage in the doubleheader.

In the circle, senior right-hander Generra Nielson was pinned with the loss in both contests and fell to 17-9 in pitching decisions this year. Nielson threw 6.2 innings against the Golden Bears on the day, while striking out six Cal hitters. The Blanding, Utah native has punched out 217 hitters this season and 415 during her career as a Ute.

Game 1: No. 1 California def. Utah, 11-3 (5 inn.)
Box Score

Four different Utes picked up hits, including a run-scoring triple by senior first baseman Tia Palauni, which was her second triple of the year and the seventh of her career. Hoopiiaina, Holm and Dickman all notched base hits for the Utes.

Nielson went 1.0 inning in her 29th appearance of the year and did not yield an earned run, while allowing two hits and striking out a pair.

After Cal posted six runs in the first half inning of play, Utah picked up its first-ever runs at home in a Pac-12 Conference game, starting when Palauni was hit by a pitch and Holm knocked a single past the Cal shortstop. Dickman followed by placing a single between the Golden Bear shortstop and right-fielder to allow Palauni and Holm to cross home plate.

Cal added five unanswered runs before Hoopiiana knocked a base hit to the left side of the Cal defense before Palauni's triple down the right-field line allowed Hoopiiaina to score from first and set the final margin at 11-3.

Game 2: No. 1 California def. Utah, 12-3 (6 inn.)
Box Score

Six different Utes combined for six hits to bolster the Utah offense as Hoopiiana, Holm, Dickman, senior outfielder Hannah Clements, freshman utility player Marissa Mendenhall and junior infielder Katelyn Elliott all came up with hits. Holm and Mendenhall were credited with runs driven in as well. Elliott turned in her fourth homer of the season in the fourth inning and she has five round-trippers over her career. Elliott, a native of Spanish Fork, Utah, has driven in 13 runs this season and has 19 RBI over her career.

Nielson went 5.2 innings in the circle and struck out four more Golden Bear hitters, while freshman Mariah Ramirez came on to finish the sixth inning with her 22nd strikeout of the season.

To start bottom of the first in the second game, Hoopiiana reached base with a single past the Cal shortstop. She then stole second base before Holm gave Utah its first lead of the Cal series with a single to left-center field to give Utah a 1-0 edge.

The Golden Bears counted with three straight scores in the next two innings, beginning in the bottom of the fourth inning when Elliott cracked an 0-1 pitch for a solo home run over the left-field fence. Clements then slapped a one-out single through the left side of the Cal defense before Mendenhall connected on a pinch-hit double to left-center field for her ninth RBI of the year, which re-tied the game at three runs apiece.

The Golden Bears responded with nine runs in the fifth and sixth frames to set the final margin at 12-3.

Utah continues Pac-12 Conference competition with a mid-week series at No. 16 Arizona, beginning with a doubleheader on Tuesday at 5 p.m. PT.