UC Santa Barbara Edges Utah Softball, 6-5

Saturday, February 11

Tempe, Ariz.

8:30 PM

University of Utah

UC Santa Barbara

2/12/2012 12:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 12, 2012

Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. - Junior shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina had two hits and two runs driven in, but the University of Utah softball team fell to UC Santa Barbara, 6-5, in its third game of the Kajikawa Classic on Saturday at the Tempe Sports Complex.

As the designated visiting team, Utah (1-2) tied the game in the top of the seventh inning when second baseman Jackie Sweet drew a two-out walk then Hoopiiaina blooped a single into shallow right field that allowed Sweet to plate the game-tying run. Unfortunately, the Gauchos were able to score the walk-off run in the bottom half of the frame after a play at the plate went in UCSB's favor.

Hoopiiaina, a Riverton, Utah native, went 2-for-4 at the plate with her first two RBI of the season on a solo home run in addition to her game-tying single.

Senior third baseman Whitney Holm drove in two runs during a 1-for-2 night at the plate. Holm, a native of Spanish Fork, Utah, leads the Utes with five RBI and four runs scored in three games this year and is tied for team-high honors with four hits. Holm now needs just one more homer to tie Niki Hayhurst (32 from 2000-03) for fifth place in school history.

Senior designated player Joni Cook and junior catcher Shay Wallace also registered hits for the Utes.

In the circle, sophomore Naomi Amu pitched 6.2 innings for a complete game in her first start of the season. Amu allowed two earned runs on six hits, while striking out five and walking four.

In the top of the first inning, Cook hit a one-out single then Holm lined her third home run of the season and the 31st of her career over the left-center field to give the Utes a 2-0 lead.

UC Santa Barbara responded with three runs in the bottom of the frame to assume a 3-2 edge.

Hoopiiaina came through with her first homer of the season as she led off the third inning with a solo home run over the right-field fence to tie the game at three runs apiece. Cook followed by hitting a single then Sandi Bowles came on to pinch run and scored Utah's fourth run of the game after a UCSB throwing error.

The Gauchos fought back with two more runs of their own in the bottom of the third inning to grab a 5-3 lead, but Bowles did her part to keep UCSB from extending its lead as she came in for a diving catch on a pop fly from left field for the second out of the fifth inning.

UC Santa Barbara (1-3) was led by a three-RBI, two-hit night by second baseman Kathryn Pilpil, while pitcher Shelby Wisdom picked up the complete-game victory.

The Utes wrap up the Kajikawa Classic tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. against Portland State.