Utes Fall 15-9 to #2/3 Ducks on Sunday

Sunday, March 22

Salt Lake City (Dumke Family Softball Stadium)

2:00 PM

University of Utah

#2 Oregon

3/22/2015 12:00 AM | Softball

March 22, 2015

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - Senior Kate Dickman went 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and four runs batted in, but it wasn't enough as No. 2/3 Oregon downed Utah 15-9 in Pac-12 play Sunday afternoon at Utah Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.

The Utes fell to 20-11 overall and 0-5 in the Pac-12 Conference following the loss, while the Ducks improved to 25-3 overall and 5-0 in conference play.

Dickman helped Utah jump out to an early 1-0 lead with her first home run of the day - a solo bomb in the bottom of the first inning - but, Oregon tied the game in the top of the second inning and tacked on a pair of runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 5-1 lead.

The Ducks then put up a five-spot in the top of the fifth inning to go up 10-1 and the Utes were in danger of being run-ruled, but Utah climbed its way back into the game with a six-run bottom of the fifth inning and trailed by just three runs heading into the sixth inning.

Heather Bowen led off the Utah fifth inning with a bloop single to center field and moved to third base on a double from Maddy Woodard. Bella Secaira popped out and Anissa Urtez followed with a walk to load the bases for the Utes. Hannah Flippen singled to left field to score both Bowen and Woodard on the play and she moved to second when the leftfielder misplayed the ball. Urtez moved to third on the misplay, as well, and Dickman followed with her second home run to score all three runs and make it a 10-6 game.

Following an Oregon pitching change, Bridget Castro doubled to center field and she later came around to score on Kristen Stewart's RBI-single to left to make it 10-7, still in favor of the Ducks.

Oregon tacked on a run in the top of the sixth inning with a homer from Jenna Lilley to make it 11-7 and later made it 15-7 behind home runs from an RBI-double from Alyssa Gillespie and another home run from Lilley in the top of the seventh inning.

With two outs an a runner on for the Utes in the bottom of the seventh inning, Marissa Mendenhall singled to left field and Castro, who reached on a fielder's choice, advanced to second. Kristen Stewart walked to load the bases and Bowen drove in a pair of runs on her single up the middle to make it 15-9. Kendal Bergman came in to pinch hit, but she flied out to right field to end the rally and the game.

Bowen finished the game going 2-for-4 at the plate with a pair of RBI and Flippen added a hit with two RBI, as well.

Katie Donovan (L, 8-4) was saddled with the loss for the Utes, giving up 13 runs on 13 hits in two different outings on Sunday. She started the game for the Utes and was lifted for Sammy Cordova in the fifth inning. Donovan then reentered the game in the sixth inning and finished with six full innings of work.

Oregon's Geri Ann Glasco (W, 5-0) picked up the win for the Ducks, giving up six runs on five hits in 4.1 innings of work.

The Utes and Ducks will close out the three-game series with game three on Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.