OREM, Utah - Despite out hitting BYU 11-6, the Utah Valley State softball team still lost to the Cougars 5-3. Utah Valley pitchers Jackie Roberts and Chelsey Mikalauski held BYU to the six hits. Mikalauski didn-??t allow a hit in her one and two thirds innings pitched.

-??They were the difference today,-?? Utah Valley State coach Todd Fairbourne. -??They were the reasons we had a chance to win today. Those two threw very well today. Jackie located well. She was the reason we hung around.-??

What made the pitchers performance even more impressive was how they continued to fight after the Wolverine defense committed four errors in the field.

-??In the past when things have gone bad we have taken a nose dive off a cliff,-?? Fairbourne said. -??But today we minimized our mistakes instead of falling a part. We got out of tough situations.-??
Offensively, Chris Jimenez led the Wolverines with three hits and Sara Roskelley added two hits.

BYU jumped on the scoreboard first by scoring two runs in the second and one in the third to take a 3-0 lead. The Wolverines countered with three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game at 3-3.

Chris Jimenez started the inning off with a double to right-center. Rachel Hartgrove then hit her ninth homerun of the season over the left field fence to cut the BYU lead to 3-2. Amanda Kendzior followed with a double to right field and later scored on a single by Shyanne Durrant to tie the game.

BYU added a run in the fourth and sixth inning to extend the lead for good at 5-3.

Utah Valley had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the seventh. Wilkins led off the inning with a double to left center but BYU pitcher Summer Tobias earned the save by retiring the next three Wolverine batters.

The Wolverines are back in action on Saturday at Nevada-Reno.