Utes End 2015 Campaign at Knoxville Regional

Sunday, May 17

Knoxville, Tenn. (Sherri Parker Lee Stadium)

3:30 PM

University of Utah

#9 Tennessee

5/17/2015 12:00 AM | Softball

May 17, 2015

Box Score

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The University of Utah softball team had its season come to an end on Sunday as the Utes fell 3-1 to the No. 8-seeded Tennessee Lady Vols in the Regional Final game that was played in front of 1,728 fans at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Utah's 2015 campaign ends after finishing with a 36-19 overall record, a fourth-place finish in the Pac-12 and earning a bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament for the first time since 2006.

The Lady Vols, who improved to 45-14 on the season, will advance to the Super Regional round next weekend and will host Florida State.

The Lady Vols got onto the board quickly, scoring a pair of runs in the top of the first inning to take a 2-0 lead. An inning and a half later -- following a one hour rain/lightning delay -- the Utes came back and put up a run in the bottom of the second inning when Heather Bowen singled off the left field wall to score Bridget Castro on the play and pull the Utes within a run, down 2-1.

After leaving four runners on base over the previous three innings, the Lady Vols finally broke through with another run in the top of the sixth inning when Tory Lewis singled home CJ McClain with the bases loaded to make it 3-1.

Utah managed to get out of the bases loaded jam, but the offense just could not get the bats going after the second inning, finishing the contest with just two hits that came off Tennessee starter Erin Gabriel (17-6), who picked up the win for the Lady Vols.

Rainey Gaffin, who entered the game in the fifth inning for the Lady Vols, did not give up a hit in her three innings pitched and earned the save -- her third of the season.

Katie Donovan (17-10) took the loss for the Utes. She got the start and later re-entered the game in the top of the seventh inning. Donovan gave up just two runs on five hits and struck out three. Sammy Cordova, who entered the game in the fifth inning, gave up one run on three hits in her 1.2 innings of work on Sunday.

Bowen and Mariah Ramirez had Utah's only two hits. Ramirez recorded a double in Utah's second inning.