Salt Lake City, UT - The Utah Valley State softball team gave Utah all it could handle on Friday. Utah Valley led 1-0 through three innings but still suffered a 3-2 defeat to the Utes. The loss dropped the Wolverines to 6-18 while Utah upped its record to 16-10. Last week Utah defeated last years national champions Michigan 3-2 in eight innings.

UV out hit Utah 6-5 and committed no errors in the game. Chris Jimenez led the Wolverine offense with two hits. Heidi Boyer pitched a complete game allowing only five hits.

-??We played a good game all the way around,-?? Utah Valley State coach Todd Fairbourne said. -??Every stat was dead even. I am proud of the girls.-??

The Wolverines jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning. With two outs Rachel Hartgrove doubled down the left field line and Boyer followed by scoring Hartgrove after she singled to center field.

Boyer held the Utah batters scoreless for the first three innings. But in the fourth the Utes scored three runs on two hits to take a 3-1 lead.

Utah Valley countered with a run in the fifth inning. Jackie Roberts opened the inning with a walk and Kaeleigh Forsyth then reached on an error by the Utah pitcher. Forsyth later scored to make the score 3-2 when Jimenez hit a two-out double to center field.

In the sixth inning it looked as if Utah Valley State was going to tie the game but a long bomb by Rachel Hartgrove stop short of the fence and resulted in an out.

In the seventh inning, Kaylie Neal came up with a big pinch hit up the middle. But the game ended when Jimenez flied out to left field.