LAKEWOOD, Calif. – The Utah Valley University softball team opened play at the Long Beach Louisville Slugger Invitational by suffering a pair of setbacks on Thursday evening at Mayfair Park. Following an 8-4 loss to UC Santa Barbara, the Wolverines dropped a 9-0 five-inning contest to the host Long Beach State 49ers in the second game of the day.
 
Long Beach State's (12-8) Christina Clermont and Cielo Meza combined to one-hit UVU (4-18) en route to the shutout victory in Thursday's nightcap. With Clermont holding a no-hitter in the fourth, Taleigh Williams broke up the no-no with a one-out single to center. Williams was just one of four Wolverines to reach base in the ballgame however, as Clermont and Meza combined to allow just one-hit and one walk in the contest.
 
LBSU, who is currently receiving votes for the top 25 poll, opened the scoring in the first with three unearned runs to take a 3-0 lead. The 49ers then added four more in the third on RBI singles from Julia Lombardi, Terra Falo and LT Torres. Long Beach State later capped its scoring in the fourth by scoring two more times -- one on a wild pitch and the other on a Falo sacrifice fly -- to seal the victory.
 
Clermont improved to 7-2 on the season after allowing just the one hit and striking out six in four innings of work, while Bailey Moore suffered the loss to drop to 2-9 on the campaign. Williams led the Wolverines by going 1-for-2 at the plate in the ballgame.
 
In the opener of the Invitational against the Gauchos (13-8), UCSB jumped out to an 8-0 lead after scoring one in the first, two in the second, two more in the third and three in the fourth. Sierra Altmeyer delivered two RBI doubles -- one in the first and another in the third -- to help the Gauchos take the early advantage.
 
Trailing by eight runs in the fourth, UVU got things going with back-to-back-to-back hits from Brianna Gatlin, Brittney Vansway and Kristy Snyder. Following a double from Gatlin and a single from Vansway, Snyder then drove both in with a two-run triple to right to make it an 8-2 contest. Tiani Hensley made it 8-3 by following with an RBI safety squeeze.
 
With the score still 8-3 in the sixth, Hensely delivered once again with a leadoff solo home run to make it 8-4. That was all the offense the Wolverines could muster the rest of the way however, as UC Santa Barbara managed to hang on for the victory.
 
Ashley Ludlow was credited with the win in relief for the Gauchos to improve to 4-2, while Kellee Ramsey (1-5) took the loss for the Wolverines.
 
Kendall Ohman was the lone Wolverine to record two hits in the contest, going 2-for-3, while Snyder and Hensley each added a pair of RBIs and a run scored.
 
UVU will continue play at the Louisville Slugger Invite on Friday morning against Cal State Fullerton at LBSU's 49er Softball Complex at 11 a.m. MT/10 a.m. PT. Following the contest, the Wolverines will then face Iowa State that afternoon at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT before wrapping tournament play against No. 14 UCLA on Saturday at noon MT/11 a.m. PT at Mayfair Park.