Utes Split Home Opener DH with Stanford

Saturday, March 24

Salt Lake City, Utah

2:00 PM

University of Utah

15-12, 0

Stanford

20-8, 0

Stanford

Utah

Photo by: Steve C. Wilson

3/24/2018 10:16 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Stanford 5 Utah 4 Utah 9 Stanford 6

Utah takes nightcap from Cardinal, 9-6

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Softball opened Pac-12 play at Dumke Family Softball Stadium with a split against Stanford. After a late-inning comeback fell short in the opener, 5-4, the Utes won a back-and-forth nightcap, 9-6.

Julia Noskin reached base seven time in eight at-bats (four hits, three walks) and scored four times while BreOnna Castaneda collected four hits and drove in six runs. Hailey Hilburn picked up the win during the second game after allowing just one run in five innings of relief.

The teams will conclude their series tomorrow at 2 p.m. If the game is postponed, the two squads will play on Monday at noon.

Utah 9, Stanford 6
The activity started right away in the second game of the day as Teaghan Cowles tripled and scored on a ground ball off the bat of Hannah Howell. The Stanford center fielder stole second, advanced on an error and scored on a Molly Fowkes sac fly for a 2-0 lead.

Utah responded as Julia Noskin singled, a pitch hit Alyssa Barrera and BreOnna Castaneda singled to put it on the board. With two outs, Kelly Martinez smoked a triple into the left field corner and Alyssa Palacios followed with a RBI double to right center for a 3-2 edge.

Lauren Wegner started the second with a double for the Cardinal and scored on a Howell single. Whitney Burkes followed with a two-run double and Stanford went back in front, 5-3.

Utah tied the score in the bottom half as Chandler Walter walked and Noskin and Barrera followed with singles. Castaneda came through again with a two-run double to knot the score at 5-5.

Stanford went back in front again thanks to a Lauren Frost ground out in the third but Utah went ahead to stay during its at-bat. Hailey Hilburn was hit and Chandler Walter reached as well. Noskin singled one more time and Barrera's sac fly to left tied the score. Castaneda added another RBI with a single to left for a 7-6 lead.

In her second inning of relief, Hilburn faced a bases loaded jam. The junior calmly induced a grounder to Castaneda, which led to a force at home, and then fielded a comebacker to end the threat.

Hilburn helped herself at the dish during her next at-bat. After Palacios doubled, she smacked the first triple of her career to right center. She then scored on a Katie Faulk double as the Utes pushed the lead to three.

After working out of danger in the fourth, Hilburn did not allow another baserunner to reach as the Utes earned a split with Cardinal. She moved to 4-1 on the season as Stanford used four pitchers to try to stifle the Ute attack.

Stanford 5, Utah 4
Utah dropped the opener as its late-inning comeback fell just short.

The game started brightly as Julia Noskin walked on four pitches and scored when BreOnna Castaneda cracked a double off the wall in left field.

Stanford quickly tied the score as Kristina Inouye led off the second by legging out an infield single to short. She would score when Arden Petit hammered a double to left.

In the third, Teaghan Cowles started the inning by tripling and scored on a Whitney Burks sacrifice fly. The real highlight was Noskin's catch that saw her crash into the fence in foul territory, securing an out.

Utah threatened to tie the game in the fifth when Ally Dickman was hit with a pitch and Noskin singled. However, Alyssa Barrera grounded out and Castaneda popped up back to the circle, ending the inning

Stanford took the opportunity and ran with it, tacking on three runs in the sixth. No. 9 hitter Lauren Frost, batting just .152, stroked a two-out, two-run double and Cowles followed with her second triple of the day for a 5-1 lead.

After a rain delay, the Ute bats came alive. Hailey Hilburn started the seventh with a single and Dickman walked on four pitches. After another free pass was issued to Noskin, Barrera smacked a RBI single to center.

After a Castaneda ground out brought in another run, Heather Bowen singled off the glove of the Stanford third baseman to make it a 5-4 contest. With the tying run in scoring position, Utah's rally was cut short on a fly ball to left that ended the game.

Carolyn Lee allowed just one hit over four innings of scoreless relief to notch her first win of the season while Katie Donovan was saddled with the loss (9-3).