CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Following a 10-6 setback to Army, the Utah Valley University softball team responded with a late-night 11-3 six-inning win over Bethune-Cookman under the lights at the Mary Nutter Classic on Saturday night/early Sunday morning.
 
In a game that didn't begin until 9:40 p.m. PT and didn't wrap up until just after midnight, UVU's (3-6) offense didn't look sluggish as it banged out 14 hits en route to the run-rule victory. Jaymee Lawton led the way by going a perfect 4-for-4 from the plate with three RBIs, while Brianna Gatlin, Dana De La Torre, Morgan Smith and Cera Stanley all added two hits apiece. Gatlin and De La Torre led the group, as Gatlin drove home four runs in the game while De La Torre plated three.
 
"This is a good testament to the kind of fight we have as a team and our inability to quit," head coach Nikki Palmer said. "It was a true team effort as everyone contributed in the win."
 
After giving up two runs in the top of the first, UVU answered with three of its own in the bottom of the frame to take an early 3-2 advantage. With two outs and the bases loaded, Gatlin delivered a clutch two-run single to right to tie the game. Lawton then followed with an RBI single of her own up the middle to give the Wolverines the lead. 
 
B-CU (3-6) quickly bounced back with an unearned run in the second to briefly tie the game at 3-all but UVU struck back with a pair of two-out runs in the third to regain the lead at 5-3. Following a Brittney Vansway double, Lawton delivered another RBI hit with a double down the right field line to make it a 4-3 game. De La Torre then followed with a shot back up the middle to bring home Lawton to make it 5-3.
 
The Utah Valley offense then pieced together its best inning of the evening in the fourth, as it scored five runs on four hits all with two outs. Following a Bethune-Cookman error that would've ended the inning, Gatlin doubled home two runs to make it 7-3. Lawton then drove in Gatlin with another RBI single and De La Torre followed with her first collegiate home run -- a two-run shot over the left field fence to cap the scoring.
 
In the bottom of the sixth the Wolverines put the game away with a walk-off run-rule RBI single from Stanley. With the bases loaded and no body out, Stanley delivered a solid single into center to end the game.
 
Bailey Moore earned the victory in relief for the Wolverines to improve to 2-4 on the season. Moore shined in the circle for UVU as she allowed just two hits and no runs in five innings of work. The junior right-hander also fanned six and walked just one en route to the victory.  
 
In the first game of evening, UVU wasted no time getting on the board against the Black Knights (4-6) as it scored four runs in the top of the first to take an early 4-0 advantage. With two on and nobody out, designated player Kristy Snyder brought home Smith from second base with an RBI single up the middle. Following a double steal by Tiani Hensley and Snyder, Vansway drove both home with a two-run double to right-center. Two batters later, Gatlin capped the scoring with an RBI double of her own to left-center.
 
West Point answered right back in the last of the first with two runs of their own to cut the deficit in half at 4-2. UVU starter Makayla Shadle did a nice job of limiting the damage in the frame however, as she managed to pitch out of a bases loaded jam with just one away. After drawing a force out at the plate, the sophomore right-hander then left the bases loaded by striking out Army pinch-hitter Kennedy Harrison.
 
The Black Knights later managed to push across a run in the third to make it a 4-3 contest, but UVU shortstop Hensley made a pair of back-to-back stellar defensive plays to end the threat and keep it a one-run game.
 
Utah Valley then took advantage of a pair of Army miscues in the fourth as it managed to drive in two unearned runs to extend its lead to 6-3. West Point once again countered right back in the bottom half of the frame with two runs of its own to make it a one-run ballgame again at 6-5 and took its first lead of the game in the fifth thanks to four unearned runs. The Black Knights scored four times in the fifth on three Wolverine errors to take a 9-6 lead. Army then added an insurance run in the sixth to seal the victory.
 
Smith and Taleigh Williams led the Wolverine offense against Army by going 2-for-5 and 2-for-4, respectively.
 
The Wolverines will conclude play at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Sunday with a 10 a.m. MT/9 a.m. PT contest against Binghamton. Following Sunday's finale, UVU will head to Honolulu, Hawai'i Feb. 26-28 for the Hawai'i Invitational.