OREM, Utah — The Utah Valley Wolverines dropped their home finale, falling to the No. 18 Utah Utes, 9-0.
Rylee Thorpe went 1-for-3 with a double, while Megan Gibbs, Angelique Mann, and Payge Armendariz each picked up singles. Katie Zuniga took the loss, allowing six runs — three earned — over 5.2 innings of work.
Utah took the lead in the top of the first thanks to a pair of close plays that went the Utes' way. The Wolverines were able to stay within striking distance for most of the evening, but costly errors in the later innings allowed Utah to pull away in the later stages.
After the Utes put up a pair of runs in the top of the first, Utah Valley threatened to answer right back with a two-out rally. Rylee Thorpe doubled and Kalena Shepherd walked to give the Wolverines a pair of runners, but Utah was able to get out of the jam by striking out Megan Gibbs.
The Wolverines were able to put a pair of runners on again — this time with just one out — in the second, but a pair of punchouts from starter Mariah Lopez got the Utes out of the jam again. Utah plated their third run on a leadoff homer to start the fourth.
After a one-out single in the top of the sixth, the Wolverines had a chance to turn an inning-ending double play, but a costly error snowballed into four more runs for the Utes. Sophie Jacquez hit a grounder to Emma Haygood at first, who stepped on the bag at first, and then fired to second to try and get the runner Shelbi Ortiz. Britney Moreno dropped the throw from Haygood, allowing Ortiz to slide in safely. Utah capitalized with three-straight hits, as well as a pair of wild pitches, to plate four more runs.
Utah plated two more runs in the seventh, and the Wolverines went quietly in the bottom half of the inning.
Utah Valley will now travel to the Pacific Northwest for a four-game weekend. The Wolverines will take on WAC foe Seattle U in a three-game series on Friday and Saturday. Utah Valley will then take on another PAC-12 foe in No. 10/11 Washington on Sunday. Friday and Saturday's games versus Seattle U will be broadcast on ESPN+, and Sunday's game at UW will be streamed on the PAC-12 Networks.
