Utah Softball Finishes 5-0 at Kajikawa Classic

Sunday, February 9

Tempe, AZ

9:00 AM

University of Utah

4-0

Kansas

1-4

Utah

Kansas

2/9/2020 2:54 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Utah 6 Seattle 3 Utah 4 Kansas 1

Utes beat Kansas and Seattle to cap weekend

TEMPE, Ariz. - Utah Softball capped a perfect weekend at the Kajikawa Classic with a 4-1 win over Kansas and a 6-3 victory against Seattle.

For the weekend, Sydney Sandez went 4-0 and the staff registered a 1.36 team ERA. The Utes also hit .315 as a team with Alyssa Barrera leading the way at a.583 clip. She also slugged 1.167 for the weekend, scoring four runs and tying for the team lead with six RBI. Freshman Madi Jacobus led the way with six runs scored and she, along with Ellessa Bonstrom, also drove in six runs.

Utah 4, Kansas 1
BreOnna Castaneda hit a tie-breaking homer in the sixth inning and Alyssa Barrera added a two-run shot in the seventh as Utah took the opener over the Jayhawks.

Hey @julianoskin23 ... someone's been eating cheeseburgers ????#GoUtes ???? pic.twitter.com/56f3VjHQ2y
— Utah Softball (@Utah_Softball) February 9, 2020

Making the second start of her career, Mary Beth Feldman worked out of trouble in the first two innings before Utah got on the board in the fourth. Madi Jacobus and Ellessa Bonstrom both reached base with one out and BreOnna Castaneda singled to open the scoring.

Utah squandered an opportunity to add more runs in the fifth and Kansas capitalized. Doubles by the bottom two batters in the lineup, Ashlyn Anderson and Tarin Travieso, quickly evened the score. With the bases loaded, the Utes turned to Sydney Sandez. The sophomore got a strikeout and induced a fly to center to keep the game tied.

Castaneda quickly provided retribution with a solo homer to left that put her side back in front. Jacobus started the seventh with a double and Barrera tacked on her blast for the final result. Sandez got the win, retiring the final eight batters of the contest.

Barrera driving in those insurance runs! ????#GoUtes ???? pic.twitter.com/snACIMm5A1
— Utah Softball (@Utah_Softball) February 9, 2020

Utah 6, Seattle 3
Utah copied the same script in the second game, getting a late-inning tie-breaking hit, this time from Madi Jacobus, and have Alyssa Barrera crush a two-run homer for some insurance.

CLUTCH FROM THE FRESHMAN!

Madi Jacobus puts @UtahSoftball in front#GoUtes ???? pic.twitter.com/oHwRFFjKhp
— Utah Softball (@Utah_Softball) February 9, 2020

The Utes missed a chance at scoring in the third and Seattle received a homer off the bat of Madison Cathcart for a 1-0 lead. Jacobus answered in the bottom half with the first dinger of her collegiate career to knot the score.

Madi JACK-obus

See what we did there ??#GoUtes ???? pic.twitter.com/aDxmAlLCZc
— Utah Softball (@Utah_Softball) February 9, 2020

After Seattle went back in front on an Alyson Matriotti ground out, Katie Faulk and Haley Denning singled with one gone in the bottom of the fifth. Faulk was lifted for pinch-runner Jordyn Gasper. and the sophomore scored when Julia Noskin singled up the middle.

With the game tied once more, Seattle made a pitching change and Jacobus took advantage, lacing a two-run double to left center. Barrera followed with her second homer of the day, another two-run drive.

Seattle pulled one back due to a throwing error in the sixth but Halle Morris came on and notched the first save of her Ute career, while icing up Sandez's fourth win of the weekend.