Ute Comeback Falls Short vs. OSU, 8-7

Friday, May 11

Salt Lake City, Utah

7:00 PM

University of Utah

20-30, 0

Oregon State

28-26, 0

Oregon State

Utah

Photo by: Steve C. Wilson

5/11/2018 10:24 PM | Softball

Box Score OSU 8 Utah 7

Bowen drives in four for Utah Softball

SALT LAKE CITY – It was a back-and-forth affair, but Utah Softball found itself on the losing end of an 8-7 contest with Oregon State on Friday evening.

Heather Bowen drove in four runs and erased an early four-run deficit with a bases-clearing double but the Utes could not hang on against the Beavers. BreOnna Castaneda and Julia Noskin both collected a pair of hits and scored twice in defeat.

Oregon State threatened from the opening pitch as a McKenna Arriola lead off with a single and after Shelby Weeks reached on an infield hit, a wild pitch put both runners in scoring position. Donovan was able to get a pair of fly balls around a strikeout to escape the first.

The Beavers broke through in the second. Camryn Ybarra singled on the first pitch and a Utah error on a sacrifice bunt put two in scoring position for the second inning in a row. This time, Jessica Garcia singled for a 1-0 lead but Katie Donovan was able to limit the damage.

The senior pitcher ran into more trouble in the third with two outs. Alysha Everett singled and Hope Brandner hit her team-leading 11^th homer of the season for a 3-0 lead.

Utah started its offensive output in the bottom half when Noskin reached on a fielder's choice. Alyssa Barrera aid down a perfect bunt and Bowen followed with a RBI single but that was all the Utes could muster.

In the fourth, Ybarra led off with a double and Katy McJunkin took a four-pitch walk. After getting a second out in the inning, Donovan was bitten by Arriola, who smacked the first pitch she saw for a two-run triple.

The Utes turned things around in its half of the fourth. Castaneda singled and Hailey Hilburn worked an o-2 count full before doubling to center. Camryn Woodall, making just her second start of the season, notched her second RBI with a single to left. Noskin's chopper allowed her to reach and another run to score for Utah and Bowen cleared the bases with a double to put the home team in front, 6-5.

OSU would not go away quietly as Everett took a leadoff walk in the fifth and Brandner followed with a double off Hilburn, who was on in relief. The next batter was hit by a pitch to load the bases and the Beavers tied the score when Michelle Sass slapped a ball through the left side. Kayleen Shafer singled up the middle to put her side back in front and with the bases still loaded, a Garcia grounder brought in a big insurance run for an 8-6 edge.

Castaneda and Hilburn worked full counts before drawing walks to begin the bottom half and after a pop up and strikeout, Noskin legged out an infield hit to pull Utah back within a run. However, the tying run was tagged out at the plate to keep the Utes behind on the scoreboard.

The Beavers looked to extend the lead in the sixth with two runners on against Hilburn but the junior settled down and got a pair of ground balls, including a fine diving play by Woodall at second, to keep the Utes within earshot.

Utah's offense ran out of gas against Meehra Nelson, mustering just one hit against her over 3 2/3 innings of relief. The junior got her second win in as many nights, her 15^th of the season, to seal a winning record for her club.

The final game of the regular season is tomorrow at noon. Utah Softball will also honor its three senior student-athletes, Heather Bowen, Katie Donovan and Miranda Viramontes in a postgame ceremony. Admission is free to all spectators and if you cannot attend, the game will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks.