STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Britney Moreno and Tatum Hall each homered to lead Utah Valley past Southern Utah, 2-1 before falling to Tarleton State in the WAC semifinals, 8-4 in Stephenville.
Lily Riley was dominant on the day, throwing a complete game in the opener for her 17th win of the season -— the second most all-time -— then kept the Wolverines in the nightcap, tossing four innings of relief while allowing one ER.
Hall homered again in game two for her program-record 53rd RBI of the season. Her two longballs on the day also ensured she had the most homers by a left-handed batter in a single season at 13, surpassing Heidi Stocks' 11 in 2007.
Utah Valley advanced to the WAC semifinals for the third-straight season after making it that far only once previously in 2014 when the team won its lone WAC title.
GAME ONE
After two scoreless frames, Utah Valley struck first on a towering solo homer by Moreno that snuck just inside the left field foul pole. Tatum Hall doubled that lead one inning later, crushing the ball to dead center.
Southern Utah got on the board in the fifth after Riley looked to have gotten out of the inning. Riley walked the lead-off batter after having a pair of borderline pitches go against her. Riley rebounded to strike out the next two batters, but SUU was able to sneak a base hit just inside the bag at third after the batter laid off another close pitch on the corner, scoring one.
Riley didn't blink, working around a lead-off error and a single in the sixth to retire the side, then sent the T-Birds down in order in the seventh.
GAME TWO
Utah Valley got on the board first via Hall's record-breaking solo homer. The Texans responded in a big way, scoring six, aided in part by an error and a misread gapper.
Utah Valley showed the resilience they exhibited all season long, getting one run back in the fifth on a Ry Binne single that scored Bailey Marvin.
The Wolverines got back within two in the sixth following a Payge Armendariz two-run single. Tarleton ace Shelby Schultz was able to snuff out the threat and retire the next two batters.
The Texans got those two runs back in the home half of the inning. Hannah Ortega came on to record the final out, capping off her collegiate career with an emphatic swinging strikeout of Casey Schultz.
Utah Valley went down in order in the seventh, closing out the Wolverines' impressive 2026 season.
Tarleton State advances to face California Baptist in Saturday's WAC Championship. Both programs are aiming to reach their first NCAA Tournament at the Division I level. First pitch of that game is scheduled for 12 p.m. MDT.
