Feb. 8, 2009
SJSU Box Score
Utah Box Score
ST. GEORGE, Utah - Utah Valley University's softball team dropped their final two games at the Red Desert Classic, Sunday in St. George, Utah, falling 14-4 to San Jose State and 10-2 to the University of Utah.
"We cannot make mistakes," UVU head softball coach Todd Fairbourne said. "Utah had some big hits to drive in runs but almost all of them came after we should have been out of those innings. Amber (Sackett) threw better than the final score indicates, we played well, and we are going to get better. I am also proud of our backups that came in today and did a nice job overall."
In the second game of the day, UVU's (2-3) Cherylyn McGraw hit a deep two-run blast off of Utah's (3-2) ace pitcher, Ashley Smuda, in the third inning to give UVU the 2-1 lead. Utah then answered back scoring four unearned runs of off the Wolverines starter, junior Amber Sackett, to take the 5-2 lead. The runs scored in the frame came after a costly error on a routine ground ball to third by Katelynn Warren. In the top of the fifth the Utes continued to put runs on the board as the Wolverines had another costly error allowing five more runs to score to put Utah up by eight runs (10-2).
Utah Valley's Meghan Woodworth and Magan Niemann had the Wolverines only other hits in the ballgame against Utah as Woodworth and Niemann both went 1-for-2 in the game and each drew a walk also.
The Wolverines also fell in the first game on the day to San Jose State (2-3), 14-4, in a five inning 8-run rule shortened affair. In the game against SJSU, the Wolverines scored first, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, as Kylee Steadman, Sackett, and Lauren Augino all had RBIs. SJSU quickly took control as the Wolverines' pitchers struggled to get their footing on the field allowing eight total walks and a number of wild pitches in the game.
Jessica Martin started in the circle for Utah Valley and had to battle very wet field conditions after heavy rain fell through the night. She was unable to retire any of the five batters that she faced in the first inning, walking all five. All five SJSU runners came around to score in the frame as Martin gave up all five earned runs in the first. Coach Fairbourne then went to the pen and brought in Amanda Perez to help the Wolverines get out of the jam. Perez stayed in the remainder of the game as she ended up pitching four full innings.
Against the Spartans, McGraw and Perez went a combined 4-for-6 at the plate. McGraw also knocked in a run in the game giving her three RBI's on the day.
"The thing that we learned from this weekend is that if our pitchers can step up, we are going to win some games," Coach Fairbourne added. "We are going to be a pretty competitive team this season. We showed down here that we can score some runs even off of good pitching."
The Wolverines will be back in action next weekend in Houston, Texas, as UVU will play a three-game series against Houston Baptist beginning on Friday the 13th at 1:00 p.m.
