ST. GEORGE, Utah – Mariah Lopez set a new career-high and narrowly missed tying the program record for strikeouts in a game by piling up 15 on her way to a complete-game two-hitter to lead the University of Utah softball team to a 6-1 triumph over the Utah Tech Trailblazers on Monday in St. George, Utah at Karl Brooks Field.
The Utes have now captured six straight victories, their longest streak so far in 2024, and their record stands at 13-6.
“I’m definitely happy with the win today,” said coach Amy Hogue. “Mariah was so good. She took charge out there from the first pitch to the last and was one strikeout from tying the school record.”
“The top of our lineup was once again a highlight for us. They have so many tools and brought out some power in the game today to show they have balance to their offensive game. A win streak is a good thing to take to California. We are playing well which is important as the competition will grow moving forward.”
Lopez was razor sharp from the start on Monday and set down the first 15 batters she faced. She struck out the side in the third and added two more Ks in the fourth and fifth until a Utah Tech single in the sixth provided the Trailblazers with their first baserunner. Lopez responded by recording three punchouts in both the sixth and seventh, striking out the side in the final frame to best her previous career-high of 11 strikeouts, which she set in 2021. Across seven innings, the senior from Arizona permitted only two hits and walked just one to improve to reel in her sixth win of the season.
On offense, the Utes went to work quickly, loading the bases with one out in the first and taking a 2-0 lead courtesy of a bases-loaded walk to Kaylah Nelsen and a Sophie Jacquez sacrifice fly. In the second, a walk and a single put two on for Aliya Belarde, who sent a bouncer through the middle to plate Shonty Passi and Abby Dayton followed with an RBI knock of her own to increase her team’s edge to four.
Utah tacked on a couple insurance runs in the last two frames, first on a Jacquez hit to right that sent Stella Bennett across in the fifth, then thanks to an Aliya Belarde sacrifice fly in the sixth. Mariah Lopez handled the rest to push the Utes’ win streak to six.
Up Next
The next time the Utes will be on the field will be on Wednesday, when they’ll visit the San Diego State Aztecs for a 6 p.m. clash.
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