EUGENE, Ore. – Mariah Lopez spun a complete-game gem for the No. 19 University of Utah softball team and a pair of fifth-inning homers provided all the offense the Utes would need in a 3-1 triumph over the No. 13 Oregon Ducks on Friday night in Pac-12 Conference action at Jane Sanders Stadium.
The Utes are now 13-9 in conference play, matching the program’s highest win total ever since joining the Pac-12, and they are 32-13 overall.
“Mariah continues to show why she is one of the best pitchers in the country,” said head coach Amy Hogue. “She had everything working and kept their hitters guessing for seven straight innings. Defense was clean today with the biggest web gem coming from Mariah herself with the double play in the sixth.”
Neither offense scored in more than one inning, and for the Ducks, their only run came in the second on one swing from Ariel Carlson, who lifted a solo homer over the wall in right to nudge the home team in front.
Morgan Scott was gripping the stitches for Oregon and for a while she made that lead stand up, holding Utah to just two hits through four innings. In the fifth however, the Ute lineup came to life. After Sophie Jacquez led off with a single, Kendall Lundberg hit a rocket to left that cleared the fence for a go-ahead homer. Two batters later, a Karlie Davison drive to right also left the yard and the Utes had jumped in front 3-1.
“[Kendall Lundberg] continues to be hot at the plate for us,” said Hogue, “and we had several other hard hits that I’m hoping find a way to fall the rest of the weekend. Karlie’s solo gave us that extra insurance that allowed us to go right at their hitters with a two-run lead.”
Lopez took care of rest. After Carlson’s dinger, she retired 17 of the final 19 batters she faced, giving up only two singles and erasing one of those baserunners in the sixth by snaring a line drive and catching the runner off first for a double play. Lopez’s line included only four hits allowed, no walks and seven strikeouts and she ended the evening with perfect seventh inning to lock up her 15th victory.
“We are hoping to break our win record in conference here in Oregon,” said Hogue. “We have never gotten win number 14 so that’s our target for tomorrow.”
Up…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at University of Utah Athletics…