University of Utah Athletics

HONOLULU, Hawaii – No. 20 Utah Softball made it a clean sweep at the Outrigger Spring Fling Tournament with its best offensive performance since 2012, a 17-3 win over Toledo.
 
Thirteen Utes crossed home plate in the fourth, setting a new program standard for runs in an inning. The 17 total runs were the most in a game since an 18-2 victory over Southern Utah (3/21/12), which was also the last time Utah scored 10 or more runs in an inning.
 
The Utes started the scoring in the second inning with Bridget Castro singling and taking second on a fielding error by the Toledo left fielder. She was lifted for pinch-runner Ryley Ball and after a walk to Kay Kay Fronda, the Utes executed a double steal. 
 
The move paid immediate dividends when BreOnna Castaneda lifted a sac fly to center and Ally Dickman smacked a RBI double for a 2-0 lead. It was the first of four runs scored by Fronda, which matched a school record last set by teammate Delilah Pacheco
 
After threatening a couple times, Toledo got on the board in the third thanks to a Katie Cozy double.
 
The damage could have been worse but  Delilah Pacheco tracked the ball down in the left-center gap and fired the relay throw to Anissa Urtez. She threw a dart to Kelly Martinez to cut down another Rocket baserunner at the plate and keep it 2-1.
 
Utah carried the momentum into its half of the fourth as Castro and Fronda hit consecutive doubles to get the run right back. After Castaneda was plunked, Pacheco singled to load the bases.
 
Alyssa Barrera hit a bounding ball to the right side that brought in another run before Hannah Flippen drove in a pair with a single to right. Urtez and Heather Bowen followed with base-hits of their own for a 7-1 edge.
 
After a pitching change, a wild one allowed Bowen to scoot home and Fronda placed one into right field for a two-run single. Bella Secaira would then add a two-run single and in her second at-bat of the inning, Flippen cleared the base paths with a three-run homer, her fifth of the season.
 
In the fifth, Maddie Roth started with a single and Fronda followed. Both runners scored on a Castaneda double.
 
Morgan Paaverud provided some consolation to the Rockets with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning, her first of the season.
 
 Pac-12 play begins next weekend as the Utes travel to Los Angeles for a series with No. 10 UCLA. You can watch all the games on the Pac-12 Networks, starting with the opener Friday at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT