RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Utah Valley rallied for an electric 9-8 win over No. 4 Seattle U to advance to the WAC Tournament semifinals, but saw its season come to close at the hands of the No. 2 Tarleton State Texans, 4-0.
The Wolverines advanced to the WAC Tournament semifinals for the second season in a row, this time doing it through the loser's bracket, to come within one win of their first championship berth since winning the tournament in 2014. Utah Valley ran into a buzzsaw in the form of All-WAC Texan ace Hannah Blincoe, who extended her scoreless inning streak to 21 with the complete game shutout.
Freshman pitcher Lily Riley answered the bell with a pair of strong performances in both games. Riley held the Redhawks to one run over the first three frames of game one, before surrendering four across the next 1.1 innings. Riley then kept the Wolverines in the ballgame against Tarleton with 5.0 innings of one-run ball, including just no runs and one hit over the final four frames.
Utah Valley finishes the 2025 season with an 18-33 overall record. The Wolverines finished the season playing some of their best softball of the season, as numerous players rose to the occasion in the big moment to contribute to a memorable tournament run.
Among those key contributors included Armendariz, who went 5-for-10 with a homer, double, and team-high six RBIs. Rodriguez pitched in at the top of the lineup, going 7-for-17 with two doubles, two RBIs, and five runs scored. The Spanish Fork duo of Peyton Hall and Sapp each drove in four apiece, tying for second-most on the team.
GAME ONE
Utah Valley put together a scintillating seven-run rally in the bottom of the sixth to turn an 8-2 deficit into a 9-8 win over Seattle U in the first game.
Seattle U tagged Riley for one in the first, but was able to hold them to just that, stranding another runner in scoring position to end the inning.
The Wolverines flipped the one-run deficit into a one-run lead with a trio of singles in the home half of the first, the first two of which by Amber Rodriguez and Peyton Hall didn't leave the infield. A fielder's choice and a steal put both runners in scoring position, setting up Armendariz, who smoked a single up the middle to plate both runs.
After trading empty innings until the end of three, the Redhawks scored seven runs over the next three innings to take an 8-2 lead going to the bottom of the sixth.
The first four Wolverines walked to start the sixth, the last of which, drawn by Emma Haygood, scored Mya Higareda. Britney Moreno singled to right to drive in two more to make it 8-5, but Kendyl Purdy was caught off second and thrown out after a pickle allowed Moreno to take second. Amber Rodriguez then swapped places with Moreno to make it 8-6.
Angelique Mann walked and Armendariz reached on an infield single to reload the bases for Higareda, who wore a hit-by-pitch off her thigh to plate a run and get the Wolverines within one at 8-7. Megan Gibbs picked up a clutch knock, poking a go-ahead two-run single into right as Armendariz narrowly beat the throw at the plate to give Utah Valley the lead.
Armendariz pitched the final 1.2 innings to earn the win, allowing no runs on one hit to slam the door and put the Wolverines in the semifinals.
GAME TWO
After Utah Valley couldn't capitalize on a scoring opportunity in the top of the first, Tarleton took a 1-0 lead after one with a single, double, and sac fly.
The Texans plated three more in the second, two of which were charged to starter Avery Sapp after Riley came in. Riley bounced back from the rocky first frame to keep the Wolverines within striking distance the rest of the night, putting up four straight zeroes.
Utah Valley had a chance to respond in the third when Kendyl Purdy led off the inning with a single, then advanced to third on a stolen base and throwing error with two outs, but were unable to convert.
Rachael Brown led off the fifth with a double to right center, but was stranded there after three straight outs by Blincoe. Tatum Hall doubled with two out in the sixth, but was left there.
Tarleton State will face top seed Grand Canyon tomorrow in the championship round, with the winner qualifying for the NCAA Tournament as the WAC's automatic bid.
