May 13, 2010

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

OREM, Utah - Utah Valley University's softball team put forth a valiant effort against the University of Utah on Senior Day in Orem but the Wolverines (27-29) ended up falling a little short as they lost both games to the Utes (26-28) 11-8 in 8 innings and 5-4.

The games also doubled up for the "Pink for a Purpose" day at the UVU Softball Field as the Wolverines were raising proceeds to go to 15-year-old Lauren Amdal, who has been diagnosed with Lymphoma. UVU put on a silent auction and had a number of donation buckets around the ballpark and more than 300 fans showed up and supported Amdal and the Wolverines.

"Today was a great day for our seniors and for Lauren Amdal," UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "As far as the games go, we jumped all over their starter in the first one and it should have been enough. In the second, those two late insurance runs that Utah scored ended up being the difference."

In game one with the score all knotted up at one in the bottom of the second inning, the Wolverines sent 10 players to the plate and scored six runs on six hits to take a 7-1 lead. In the inning Meghan Woodworth, Charlee Cisneros, Megan Gardner, and Amanda Perez all drove home runs. In the top of the top of the third, the Utes then answered with two, two-run home runs to cut the deficit to 7-5.

Utah then continued to score the ball in the first game of the doubleheader, as the Utes picked up two unearned runs in the top of the fourth to tie the score at seven. Both teams' relief pitchers, Jessica Martin (UVU) and Brittany Parker and Ashley Smuda (Utah) then did nice jobs for their respective clubs as they pitched a couple of scoreless innings.

The game then entered the seventh still all-tied up at seven. Utah got the leadoff hitter on as Hannah Clements reached on a walk. She then was bunted into scoring position with only one out. Martin then was able to retire the four and five hitters as she drew a ground out and popup. Smuda continued to pitch well for Utah though as she sat down the Wolverines in order in the last of the seventh, sending the game to extras.

In the top of the eighth Utah's Whtiney Holm was awarded second base to begin the inning due to the international tiebreaker rule and the Utes didn't waste any time in scoring her and taking the lead. Martin allowed two earned runs and the Utes also tacked on two more unearned runs to take an 11-7 lead with only one last at-bat for the Wolverines. UVU managed to put a run on the board as Amber Sackett drove home Shaylyn Varney but that was all the Wolverines could muster. Smuda held on to the lead for the Utes and picked up her 20th win of the season in the process.

In the second game of the twinbill, the Utes continued right where they left off as they scored a run in the first off of UVU-starter Kyli Flanary to go up 1-0. The game stayed at 1-0 Utah as Smuda and Parker did a nice job limiting the Wolverines offense until the fourth when the Utes tacked on another run to go up 2-0.

With the score 3-0 in the fifth, the Wolverines finally got going offensively as Jessica Anderson picked up a sac fly RBI, to cut the score to 3-1. UVU then got a little two-out rally in the sixth as they scored another run, as Cherylyn McGraw singled and Megan Kisner plated her with a double to right center.

Utah then managed to score what proved to be two huge insurance runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 5-2 lead. In the last of the seventh, UVU made things interesting by manufacturing two quick runs, as Anderson and Varney each picked up an RBI, to cut it to 5-4. With two outs and the tying run on third base, Parker managed to strike out Sackett to seal the victory for the Utes.

In the second game, all six UVU seniors started the game and did well as Anderson led the way with two RBIs. McGraw and Megan Kisner each had a two-hit game as well, while Baillee Holt picked up a big hit in the game as well.

The games conclude UVU's 2010 regular season. The Wolverines will now get ready to head to Dallas, Texas to take part in the Great West Conference tournament. UVU, the No. 1 seed, will open the tourney with North Dakota, Sunday at 10 a.m. All tournament games can be heard live through the Texas Sports Radio Network with Terry Lewis providing play-by-play by logging on to http://www.tsrnsports.com/Broadcast/Broad-U-HBUwomen.htm