SACRAMENTO — Lily Riley threw a complete game, striking out eight and allowing one run, as Utah Valley (16-8) topped the Big Sky-leading Sacramento State Hornets (18-8), 4-1 to earn Cody Thomson's 100th win as head coach.
Thomson becomes just the second head coach in the program's Division I era to reach the 100-win plateau, joining Todd Fairbourne (2005-12), and is the fastest to reach that mark.
Riley dazzled once again, holding the Hornets to four hits and five baserunners overall, and facing just four batters over the minimum. Riley earned her WAC-leading 10th victory of the season, moving into the top 10 nationally to become the fastest Wolverine pitcher to reach that mark.
"Another great performance by Lily Riley. Anytime you throw a complete game on 84 pitches, that usually means a W for the Wolverines!" said Thomson. "I'm also very excited about win No. 100. There's going to be a lot more to come!"
Utah Valley was unable to convert early scoring opportunities, stranding four runners on base through the first three frames. The Wolverines finally broke through in the fifth with some good situational hitting, as Emma Haygood hit a deep fly ball to center with the bases loaded to score one on a sac fly.
UVU's aggressive baserunning forced the Hornets into a pair of errors in the sixth, resulting in three Wolverine runs. Amber Rodriguez singled and Megan Sterzer walked to set up Tatum Hall, who singled up the middle to score Rodriguez. Sterzer's pinch runner, Kendyl Purdy, and Hall took an extra 60 feet on the throw, with the throw into second going wide, allowing Purdy to score easily. Ry Binne bunted for a hit with the throw to first sailing down the line, allowing Hall to score.
Sac State got its lone run of the ballgame in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run.
Riley showed no signs of slowing down in the seventh, picking up a pair of strikeouts to end the ballgame.
Utah Valley will now return to Orem for a six-game homestand, beginning on March 17 against the Weber State Wildcats. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. MT, and admission is free. The game will also be streamed on ESPN+, with live stats at GoUVU.com/stats.
