Utah Softball Wins Seventh Straight

Sunday, February 26

Greensboro, N.C.

12:00 PM

University of Utah

Rider

2/26/2012 12:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 26, 2012

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Freshman Marissa Mendenhall connected for the first two home runs of her career in the second game of the day as the University of Utah softball team took a pair of wins over Drexel (4-0) and Rider (9-2) on Sunday during the final day of the Spartan Classic at the UNCG Softball Stadium.

Utah (11-3) has won seven straight games and 10 of its last 11. The Utes outscored their opponents 13-2 on the final day and held a 14-5 advantage in hits over Drexel and Rider.

Mendenhall went 3-for-3 in the second game of the day against Rider with five RBI, including the first two home runs of her career. Five RBI for the Stansbury Park, Utah native against the Broncs is a new single-game high for any Utah player this season.

On the mound, senior pitcher Generra Nielson did not allow an earned run in 7.2 innings of work, while striking out 16 and only issuing two walks.

The Utes went 5-0 at UNCG's Spartan Classic this weekend in Greensboro, N.C., outscoring their opponents by a 38-7 margin. Utah outhit is foes .323 to .145 and was 11 of 11 on stolen base attempts, while allowing only one steal during the entire weekend.

Utah def. Drexel, 4-0
Box Score

Nielson registered a 6.0-inning effort against the Dragons for Utah's sixth consecutive victory. She allowed only three hits to go with 12 strikeouts while only walking three. Nielson has struck out 10 or more in five of her last seven starts. The Blanding, Utah native improved to 7-2 in decisions this season and is now 28-14 during her Ute career.

Freshman Mariah Ramirez nailed down the win in the seventh frame, retiring all three Dragon hitters she faced on only eight pitches.

Offensively, Utah gathered five hit and scored all four of its runs against the Dragons via the long ball.

The Utes took control of the game early by tallying three runs in the top of the first inning when senior third baseman Whitney Holm struck her seventh home run of the season, a three-run shot over the center-field fence on a 1-0 pitch, to put the Utes up 3-0. She is fourth on Utah's all-time list with 35 career homers.

Freshman Desaray Akins tagged a 2-0 delivery over the right-center field wall for her first career home in the top of the sixth frame. Akins' solo shot was the third RBI of her career and set the final margin at 4-0.

Utah def. Rider, 9-2
Box Score

In the second game of the day, sophomore Naomi Amu did not allow an earned run in 4.1 innings of work during her fourth start of the year. She yielded only two hits to the Broncs, while striking out four and walking three. The Oceanside, Calif., native improved to 3-1 this season with the win and has won her last three decisions.

Nielson threw for 1.2 innings and struck out four of the five Rider hitters she faced, before Ramirez came on to clinch the victory in the seventh inning and retired the Broncs in order, recording one strikeout.

Led by Mendenhall's effort at the plate, the Utes overcame three errors on defense by outhitting the Broncs 9-2.

Utah got on the board first in the bottom of the second inning against the Broncs when Amu helped herself by driving a double down the left-field line to plate Mendenhall. It was Amu's first run driven in this season and the seventh of her career.

Rider briefly took the lead with two runs in the top of the third, but Utah roared back with eight unanswered runs.

Mendenhall drove a 1-2 pitch through the middle of the Bronc infield with the bases loaded that allowed sophomore Chalese Fankhauser to tie the game in the bottom of the third frame.

The Utes tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth and regained the lead (5-2) after senior Joni Cook pounded a two-out single down the left-field line to push senior first baseman Tia Palauni and junior shortstop Kelsi Hoopiiaina across home plate. Cook then scored herself after a Rider wild pitch to give the Utes a 5-2 lead.

Utah scored once more in their fifth at-bat when Mendenhall struck again, this time with a leadoff home run off a 3-1 pitch to left-center field. It was Mendenhall's first career home run and her second RBI.

The Utes poured on three more runs in the bottom of the sixth when Mendenhall caught hold of a 2-2 delivery and sent her second home run in as many at-bats over the right-center field wall to pull in three more runs for Utah and set the final margin at 9-2.

Utah continues preseason tournament action next weekend at the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., starting Saturday at 10 a.m., against North Dakota.