Softball Splits a Pair of Games

Saturday, February 18

Las Vegas, Nev.

2:30 PM

University of Utah

Cal Poly - Louisville Desert Classic

2/18/2006 12:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 18, 2006

Box Score

LAS VEGAS - The University of Utah softball ball team improved to 4-5 on the year in splitting a doubleheader here in its final day of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic in Las Vegas.

Utah opened up action with a 7-2 loss to Illinois but rebounded to top Cal Poly in the nightcap, 6-4.

Illinois 7, Utah 2

After exchanging runs in the first inning, the Utes jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the second on an RBI single by Diana Phillips. That scored Sharee Fonoti who walked and got to third on a sacrifice and a single.

That was all the Utes had as the Fighting Illini scored the last six runs of the game. They would go to score two runs in each the third, fifth and sixth innings. They belted out 11 hits, including three RBI doubles.

Utah posted seven hits in plating the two runs, and had two errors.

Karina Cannon got the start and takes her first loss on the year. She is 2-1 after allowing four hits and three earned runs. She fanned four batters to only one walk.

Jackie Wong was the lone Ute with multiple hits in the game. She went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Phillips was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

Utah 6, Cal Poly 4

The Utes rebounded to bag the two-run win in the nightcap, their final game of the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic.

After spotting the Mustangs a 1-0 lead in the first, the Utes exploded for four runs in the second ... and it only took two swings of the bat. Utah took a 2-1 lead on Sharee Fonoti's first home run of the year. It scored Hailey Davenport from first.

Another two runs came from the bat of Diana Phillips. She hit a two-RBI double to the gap in left-center field, plating both Jackie Wong and Meghan Crouse.

Andrea Hoffman and Jessica Shiery each had RBI's in the fourth to extend Utah's lead to 6-1 while Cal Poly hung runs on the board in each the fourth, fifth and seventh innings.

Phillips led the way in going 2-for-4 with two RBI. Fonoti also had a two-RBI outing against the Mustangs in going 1-for-3 at the plate. Crouse led the Utes in scoring two runs.

Meghan Dyer gets the win for Utah as she improves to 2-1 on the year. She struck out five and walked one in allowing two earned runs on four hits. Karina Cannon came on in the seventh to get her first save of the year.