Utes Lose Late to No. 9 ASU, 4-3

Sunday, April 29

Salt Lake City, Utah

12:00 PM

University of Utah

20-25, 3-15

Arizona State

38-9, 12-6

Arizona State

Utah

4/29/2018 3:16 PM | Softball

Box Score ASU 4 Utah 3

Home runs not enough to power Utah to victory

SALT LAKE CITY – Home runs from Heather Bowen and Ally Dickman were not enough to give Utah Softball a win in the finale against No. 9 Arizona State, falling 4-3.

Bowen broke the early deadlock by smacking her team-leading eight home run of the season and reaching 40 RBI for the season. She plated Julia Noskin, who pushed her on-base streak to 11 games by getting plunked with the first pitch of the game.

Katie Donovan cruised through the first three innings before running into trouble. Danielle Gibson smacked the first pitch to center for a single and a close play at second on a fielder's choice put a pair of ASU runners on base. After a sacrifice bunt advanced both runners, a comebacker to Donovan allowed her to get the lead runner at home, thanks to some alert fielding by Katie Faulk.

After getting a strike on the first pitch to DeNae Chatman, the designated player for the Sun Devils cracker a three-run homer to get her side on the board and in the lead, 3-2.

The Utes drew even in the fifth by unleashing another long ball. Dickman delivered a solo shot to right, her first homer of the season, to tie the game.

ASU regained the edge in the sixth as a pair of walks got things going. The Sun Devil lead-off hitters reached 14 of 19 times this weekend (.737), constantly putting pressure on Utah pitchers. After a pitching change, Maddi Hackbarth hit one back up the box with two outs for a run-scoring single and 4-3 advantage. ASU hit .367 (11-for-30) with two outs this weekend and .350 (13-for-37) with runners in scoring position as opposed to Utah, who hit .135 (3-for-22) and .175 (3-for-17) respectively.

The last chance for the home team came in the seventh when Ryley Ball singled and moved to second on a ground ball. Dickman was called on to try and be a hero, but after coming through earlier in the contest, her fly ball to left was not enough to even the score again.

G Juarez earned her second complete-game victory of the season to move to 21-3 on the season and saw her ERA go to 0.94. The ASU pitching staff registered 23 strikeouts this weekend and did not issue a walk to Utah batters.

The Utes hit the road this weekend for a three-game series in Eugene against No. 2 Oregon. The final series of the season at Dumke Family Softball Stadium is May 10-12 vs. Oregon State.