Utes Sweep Thunderbirds in Tuesday Doubleheader

Tuesday, March 31

Salt Lake City (Dumke Family Softball Stadium)

6:00 PM

University of Utah

Southern Utah

Utes Sweep Thunderbirds in Tuesday Doubleheader

3/31/2015 12:00 AM | Softball

March 31, 2015

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah softball took a pair of non-conference games from Southern Utah on Tuesday, sweeping the Thunderbirds 6-1 and 10-1 in doubleheader action at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.

The Utes improved to 24-13 overall with the pair of wins, while SUU dropped to 10-21 on the season.

The Utes will have just one day of rest before returning to action as Utah hosts No. 16/16 California in a three-game series this Thursday-Saturday, Apr. 2-4. Game one of the series will get underway at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

GAME ONE -- Utah 6, Southern Utah 1
Utah would not get its first run in until the fifth inning when Hannah Flippen led off the frame with a double down the left field line and promptly scored on Kate Dickman's double to deep center field. Marissa Mendnehall moved Dickman over to third base with a sacrifice fly to right field and the senior center fielder would later score on a RBI-single from Kristen Stewart to put the Utes up 2-0.

A RBI-sacrifice fly from Flippen in the bottom of the sixth inning put Utah on top 3-0 and then just one batter later, Dickman drove in her second and third runs of the game with her second double of the contest. Mendenhall then added a RBI-single and the Utes led 6-0 going into the final inning of play.

The Thunderbirds managed to score a late run with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Kaycie Nieto got out of the inning and Utah picked up the five-run victory.

Katie Donovan (W, 9-5) earned her ninth win of the season throwing six full innings of shutout softball. She gave up just four hits, struck out six and walked none while leading the Utes to the non-conference win.

Dickman paced the Utes at the plate with her second-straight three-hit game. She was 3-for-4 at the dish with two runs and three RBI. Heather Bowen was 2-for-3 in the game, as well.

GAME TWO -- Utah 10, Southern Utah 1 (5 Inn.)
Utah took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a RBI-single from Bridget Castro. Mendnehall, who reached earlier on a fielder's choice, came all the way around to score from first base on the play.

Castro drove in her second and third runs of the game in the bottom of the third inning on two-run scoring double to right field. Dickman and Anissa Urtez scored on the play to put Utah up 3-0.

The Utes put the game away in the bottom of the fourth inning, scoring seven runs on six hits to take a commanding 10-0 lead into the fifth inning. Maddy Woodard and Shelby Pacheco opened the onslaught with back-to-back solo home runs -- both player's first bomb of the season -- and Mendenhall added a pair of runs with her single through the right side of the infield. Castro added to her already good night with another two-run double and Bowen later drove in the inning's final run with a double to center field.

SUU would put up a run in the top of the fifth, but Sammy Cordova and Mariah Ramirez combined to get out of the inning and help give the Utes its fourth run-rule win of the season.

Miranda Viramontes (W, 10-6) picked up her team-leading 10th win of the season as she did not allow a run and gave up just two hits in her four innings of work.

Castro recorded a 3-for-3 effort at the plate for the second time in her last three games. She scored a run and finished the contest with five runs batted in -- one shy of tying her career-high of six RBI that she registered last season.

Flippen added a pair of hits in the game to extend her hitting streak to a season-best 11-consecutive games.