Upcoming Event: Softball versus UCSB on February 6, 2026 at 2 p.m.
2 p.m.
Softball
vs UCSB
The University of Utah Athletics
Saturday, March 31
Salt Lake City, Utah
1:00 PM
University of Utah
17-15, 0
4
vs
9
UCLA
31-2, 0
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UCLA
2
4
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Utah
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Photo by: Steve C. Wilson
Utes Drop Finale to No. 3 UCLA, 9-4
3/31/2018 5:34 PM | Softball
Utah falls in final game of series
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah Softball dropped the finale in its three-game series with No. 3 UCLA this afternoon, 9-4.
Ryley Ball, making just her fifth start of the season, drove in a pair with Alyssa Barrera also knocking in two for the Utes. For the weekend, Kelly Martinez paced the Utes, hitting .445 and scoring three runs.
Hailey Hilburn earned the start and threw a career-high 147 pitches. Her previous high this season was 97 vs. Saint Mary's and she threw 120 in a contest vs. Washington last year. It was a difficult contest for both pitching staffs trying to figure out the strike zone as they combined for 21 walks, 11 by the Bruins.
For the third-straight game, UCLA put a pair on the board in the first inning. Rachel Garcia took advantage of two Utah errors and hit a sacrifice fly to left. Then, Hilburn issued three walks in a row, the last to Taylor Pack, bringing in another run.
After the first out of the second inning, the next six Bruins reached as they opened it up against the Utes. Aaliyah Jordan knocked a RBI single before a two-run error cost the home side. Bubba Nickles added a RBI double for a 6-0 edge.
Utah got on the board in the fourth as Alyssa Palacios and Alyssa Barrera drew walks. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Ball smacked a two-run double down the left field line.
After a Kinsley Washington sacrifice fly got a run back for the Bruins in the fifth, Utah continued to apply pressure in the bottom half. Martinez walked and Palacios doubled to put a pair in scoring position for Barrera. The sophomore laced a single up the middle to trim the gap to 7-4.
UCLA tacked on two more runs courtesy of a bases-loaded walk to Malia Quarles and a RBI double from Jelly Felix.
Utah is back on the road next weekend for a series with No. 1 Washington. All the games can be seen live on the Pac-12 Networks with the opener, Friday at 5 p.m. PT
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Ryley Ball, making just her fifth start of the season, drove in a pair with Alyssa Barrera also knocking in two for the Utes. For the weekend, Kelly Martinez paced the Utes, hitting .445 and scoring three runs.
Hailey Hilburn earned the start and threw a career-high 147 pitches. Her previous high this season was 97 vs. Saint Mary's and she threw 120 in a contest vs. Washington last year. It was a difficult contest for both pitching staffs trying to figure out the strike zone as they combined for 21 walks, 11 by the Bruins.
For the third-straight game, UCLA put a pair on the board in the first inning. Rachel Garcia took advantage of two Utah errors and hit a sacrifice fly to left. Then, Hilburn issued three walks in a row, the last to Taylor Pack, bringing in another run.
After the first out of the second inning, the next six Bruins reached as they opened it up against the Utes. Aaliyah Jordan knocked a RBI single before a two-run error cost the home side. Bubba Nickles added a RBI double for a 6-0 edge.
Utah got on the board in the fourth as Alyssa Palacios and Alyssa Barrera drew walks. After a wild pitch moved both runners up, Ball smacked a two-run double down the left field line.
After a Kinsley Washington sacrifice fly got a run back for the Bruins in the fifth, Utah continued to apply pressure in the bottom half. Martinez walked and Palacios doubled to put a pair in scoring position for Barrera. The sophomore laced a single up the middle to trim the gap to 7-4.
UCLA tacked on two more runs courtesy of a bases-loaded walk to Malia Quarles and a RBI double from Jelly Felix.
Utah is back on the road next weekend for a series with No. 1 Washington. All the games can be seen live on the Pac-12 Networks with the opener, Friday at 5 p.m. PT
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ta'amilo, Selina (7-1)
L: Hilburn, Hailey (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Felix, Jelly 1 ; Nickles, Bubba 1
3B: Rodriguez, Julie 1
RBI: Jordan, Aaliyah 1 ; Garcia, Rachel 1 ; Felix, Jelly 1 ; Nickles, Bubba 1 ; Pack, Taylor 1 ; Washington, Kinsley 1 ; Quarles, Malia 1
SH: Perez, Kylee 1
SF: Garcia, Rachel 1 ; Washington, Kinsley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Perez, Briana 1 ; Perez, Kylee 2 ; Jordan, Aaliyah 3 ; Garcia, Rachel 1 ; Nickles, Bubba 1 ; Rodriguez, Julie 1
SB: Perez, Briana 1
Batting:
2B: Palacios, Alyssa 1 ; Ball, Ryley 1
RBI: Barrera, Alyssa 2 ; Ball, Ryley 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Martinez, Kelly 1 ; Palacios, Alyssa 1 ; Hilburn, Hailey 1 ; Barrera, Alyssa 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
p/dp
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ SoftballP/UTIL
/ Softball
C/3B
/ SoftballUTIL
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