OREM, Utah — Megan Gibbs hit two home runs and drove in six RBIs and Payge Armendariz pitched a complete game to lead Utah Valley to a 9-4 win over the Tarleton State Texans and secure the first 3-0 start to WAC play since 2014.
The Wolverines (9-13, 3-0 WAC) bounced back from a four-run deficit after the first half inning by rattling off nine unanswered runs to take the win. Armendariz, who pitched the first complete game of her collegiate career, earned the win by allowing two ER and striking out a career-high six.
"We've been preparing all year for this weekend, and I feel like the team showed up just like we've been practicing," said head coach Cody Thomson. "We hit it and pitched it well, we had to come back in a couple games, and we had pitchers that hadn't thrown a lot in the preseason that have worked really hard and it's translating into the game. The hard work's paying off."
Gibbs had the second multi-home run game of her career and the 40th in program history. Gibbs now has seven home runs on the season, moving her into sole possession of fifth place on the UVU career home runs list with 27.
The Texans plated four runs in the first, but only two were earned. Armendariz bounced back from the rocky first inning and allowed just three hits over the final six frames.
Utah Valley responded in a big way with five runs in its half of the first. After Amber Rodriguez singled and Peyton Hall walked, Angelique Mann roped an RBI double to right-center that scored Rodriguez. Halle Morris was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Gibbs, who hit a no-doubter over the fence in left to give the Wolverines the 5-4 lead.
The two teams traded zeroes until the bottom of the fourth when a Tarleton error helped lead to a pair of UVU runs. Armendariz walked to lead off the inning, then was pinch-run for by Libbie Hawker. Laynee Betancur reached on a throwing error by the third baseman, and both runners took an extra 60 feet. Rodriguez then roped a single up the middle that drove in both runners.
Gibbs gave the Wolverines some insurance runs in the fifth when she hit her second home run of the day over the fence in right.
After Armendariz gave up a pair of singles in the seventh inning, the Wolverines secured the victory with a tailor-made 6-4-3 double play to end things.
In the win, Peyton Hall extended her hitting streak to 11 games with a 1-for-3 day with a single and a walk. Hall has the longest hitting streak since the 2022 season when Madison Carr hit safely in 12-straight games.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley welcomes Mountain West foe Boise State back to Wolverine Softball Field on Tuesday for the third and final game of the season series between the two teams. First pitch is slated for 4 p.m. MT and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The Wolverines will then hit the road for their next six, starting next weekend at GCU.
