TEMPE, Ariz. – Kori Barrios' seventh-inning home run helped propel the Utah Valley University softball team to a 4-1 win over Indiana of the Big Ten Conference in the Kajikawa Classic finale on Sunday. The win marked the Wolverines' (3-2) second of the weekend over a foe from the Big Ten, as they previously defeated Wisconsin (who is receiving votes for the top 25) on Friday.
 
With the game deadlocked at 1-1 in the seventh inning, freshmen Jaylen Watson and Taleigh Williams hit consecutive singles to set the table for the sophomore transfer Barrios. Barrios didn't disappoint as she smacked a towering three-run home run over the fence in left-center field to give the Wolverines a 4-1 lead. Sophomore pitcher Bailey Moore then promptly sat the Hoosiers down in order in the bottom of the inning to seal the victory for Utah Valley.
 
"Kori is super tenacious. She made a little mistake earlier in the game on defense but made up for it with that big hit," said head coach Nikki Palmer. "That's all we can ask for, to not quit and keep on fighting."
 
Moore went the distance in the circle for UVU to record her second victory of the weekend (2-2). The sophomore starter shined in the contest as she allowed just four hits and one run in the full seven innings of work while striking out five. Moore also held a one-hitter into the fifth, and a shutout into the sixth in the contest.
 
"Bailey did a great job. She is so consistent and was really tough to hit today," added Palmer. "These are some really good hitting teams that's she's been shutting down, so we're excited for the future."  
 
With the game still scoreless in the fifth inning, Barrios got things going offensively for UVU with a single up the middle. Two batters later, freshman Sydney Austin delivered an RBI triple to give the Wolverines a 1-0 advantage.
 
UVU held the 1-0 lead until the sixth, when IU (1-4) managed to push across the tying run on a wild pitch. The game then remained deadlocked at 1-all until Barrios' heroics in the top of the seventh.   
 
"I couldn't be more proud of the girls for they way they played this weekend," added Palmer. "If we could take back that Bradley game then it would've been pretty much perfect. But other than that, we played really well and grew in every game. And that's exactly what we need to do as a young team."
 
Barrios led the Wolverines at the plate by going 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored. Austin too recorded a pair of hits off the bench in the game for UVU as she finished going 2-for-3 with an RBI triple.
 
Despite a strong pitching performance from both Lora Olson and Miranda Tamayo, Tamayo took the loss in relief for Indiana to drop to 0-3 on the year.
 
Along with wins over both Indiana and Wisconsin, UVU also defeated Virginia of the ACC on Saturday to record all three of its wins over teams from a power conference during the opening-season tournament.
 
The Wolverines will once again hit the road next weekend to take part at UNLV's Wilson/DeMarini Desert Classic in Henderson, Nevada. There, UVU will once again take on Indiana, as well as Hawai'i, Portland State, New Mexico and Cal State Fullerton (receiving votes).