Utah Softball Silenced by No. 2 Oklahoma

Sunday, March 31

Salt Lake City, Utah

12:00 PM

University of Utah

13-19

Oklahoma

31-2

Oklahoma

Utah

Photo by: Steve C. Wilson

3/31/2019 6:07 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Oklahoma 11 Utah 2 Oklahoma 13 Utah 3

Utes drop both games of a doubleheader to Sooners

SALT LAKE CITY - Utah Softball dropped both games of a doubleheader today to No. 2 Oklahoma, 11-2 and 13-3.

After playing the team with top offense in the nation last weekend in No. 16 Arizona State, the Utes faced a Sooner team that entered third at 7.74 runs per game and owned the best batting average (.368). Oklahoma, also solid in the circle, entered with the nation's second-best ERA (1.13).

Oklahoma 11 Utah 2
Oklahoma started the game with a pair of doubles as Shay Knighten put it ahead 1-0. Grace Green followed with a single to double the lead.

It stayed that way until the fourth when Lynnsie Elam connected on a three-run homer to open up a 5-0 lead for the Sooners. Sydney Romero continued the inning with a double and scored in Fale Aviu's sacrifice fly.

The Utes got on the board in the fourth when Makayla Hurst singled and BreOnna Castaneda smacked a double down the left-field line. Hailey Hilburn popped a sacrifice fly to right for the first Utah run and Katie Faulk laced a single to center for another tally.

Green walked in the Oklahoma fifth and with two down, the Sooners got back-to-back triples off the bats of Nicole Mendes and Elam.

After Aviu singled to begin the sixth, Caleigh Clifton mashed a two-run homer to hit double digits. After a pair of walks and a hit batter, Sami Skelly picked up a RBI with a sacrifice fly to center.

Oklahoma 13, Utah 3
Clifton started the second game of the afternoon with a two-run bomb that showcased Oklahoma's offensive might.

Aviu and Clifton singled in the third before a fly ball to center advanced both runners. Green reached on an infield single but when Oklahoma got greedy, Utah nabbed a runner at the plate to end the inning.

Utah fought back in the third as Faulk opened with a walk. Julia Noskin hit a perfectly placed ball for a triple into left center that got the Utes on the board. Ally Dickman lifted a ball to left that was caught in foul ground but Noskin came in to trim the gap to 3-2.

Proceedings escalated in the fourth as Oklahoma flexed its muscle by posting double digits. Jocelyn Alo hit the first pitch of the inning for a homer. Romero belted a two-run triple and then scored on an Aviu single. Clifton cleared the bases for a third time on the afternoon with a two-run homer and after OU repacked the sacks, Nicole Mendes smashed a grand slam.

Utah would get a run back as Alyssa Barrera started the bottom half of the inning with her fifth triple of the season, tops in the Pac-12. She came home on a Hurst single for the final score.