Upcoming Event: Softball versus Salt Lake Community College on October 21, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Softball
vs Salt Lake Community College
Friday, February 24
Palm Springs, Calif.
11:30 a.m.
University of Utah
6
vs
2
Texas Tech
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Nelsen, Lopez Lead Utah Softball Past Texas Tech, LMU
2/25/2023 12:29 AM | Softball
Utah starts the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with two victories
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Kaylah Nelsen drove in six runs and Mariah Lopez earned a win and a save as the University of Utah softball team put up a pair of victories on Friday, downing the Texas Tech Red Raiders 6-2, then topping the LMU Lions 6-3 on Friday on day one of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at the Big League Dreams Sports Park.
The Utes have now won three-in-a-row and their 2023 record stands at 9-3.
"I'm super happy this group found a way to win two games today," said head coach Amy Hogue. "Our pitching staff continues to put us in position to win every game we play. They had a combined 20 strikeouts on the day, which is incredible. "Kaylah Nelsen absolutely went off today! She found ways to get the RBI's we needed in both games. I loved how many times we were able to find our way on base today. We didn't cash in as many as I would have liked, but we are definitely giving our hitters a lot of opportunities to get those RBI's."
Game One: Utah vs. Texas Tech
The first lead in Utah's first game belonged to the Red Raiders, who put a runner on with a one-out walk and that was followed by a Peyton Blythe homer, but the Utes made sure that was a short-lived advantage.
In the bottom of the first, a pair of walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out and Aliya Belarde tallied Utah's first run when she beat a throw to the plate on a Julia Jimenez grounder. Three batters later, Nelsen stepped in with the bases loaded and lofted a fly ball down the left field line that fell in for a three-run double and gave the Utes a lead they would never relinquish.
Lopez made sure her team's edge would stand up by completely shutting down the Texas Tech lineup after the first inning. She erased a lead-off single in the second by inducing ground ball for a double play, then retired the side in order in the third, fourth and fifth. Nelsen increased Lopez's cushion to four runs when she smacked a two-run single through the middle in the third and Utah's junior southpaw did the rest. Lopez finished off her fourth win of the season with a perfect seventh inning that included her sixth and seventh strikeouts of the afternoon.
Game Two: Utah vs. LMU
Once again, the Utes dented home plate in first inning, this time thanks to a two-out error, followed singles from Julia Jimenez and Nelsen to plate Ellessa Bonstrom. Another LMU miscue helped the Utah lead increase to 2-0 in the fourth, when Hailee White scored from second on a Lion throwing error.
LMU would respond in their half of the fourth, cobbling together a two-out rally capped by a go-ahead two-run homer from Jasmine Sofowora, but the Utes didn't let their opponents hold that lead for long. Two more Lion errors put two runners on with nobody out in the top of the fifth and a pair of wild pitches followed, each scoring a run. Sophie Jacquez added one more with an RBI double and the Utes had their two-run advantage back. Utah upped its lead to 6-3 in the sixth, when Haley Denning swiped third and scored when the catcher's throw sailed into left field.
The Lions best chance to erase their deficit came in the sixth, when they loaded the bases with one out against Lopez, who was in her second inning of relief, but the lefty was able squash the attempted rally. She induced a popup for the second out and followed that with a strikeout to end LMU's last threat of the night. A perfect seventh put the finishing touches on a 2-0 day.
Up Next
Only one game is on Utah's Saturday schedule and it is a 9:30 a.m. PT showdown with No. 2 Oklahoma.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
The Utes have now won three-in-a-row and their 2023 record stands at 9-3.
"I'm super happy this group found a way to win two games today," said head coach Amy Hogue. "Our pitching staff continues to put us in position to win every game we play. They had a combined 20 strikeouts on the day, which is incredible. "Kaylah Nelsen absolutely went off today! She found ways to get the RBI's we needed in both games. I loved how many times we were able to find our way on base today. We didn't cash in as many as I would have liked, but we are definitely giving our hitters a lot of opportunities to get those RBI's."
Game One: Utah vs. Texas Tech
The first lead in Utah's first game belonged to the Red Raiders, who put a runner on with a one-out walk and that was followed by a Peyton Blythe homer, but the Utes made sure that was a short-lived advantage.
In the bottom of the first, a pair of walks and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with one out and Aliya Belarde tallied Utah's first run when she beat a throw to the plate on a Julia Jimenez grounder. Three batters later, Nelsen stepped in with the bases loaded and lofted a fly ball down the left field line that fell in for a three-run double and gave the Utes a lead they would never relinquish.
Lopez made sure her team's edge would stand up by completely shutting down the Texas Tech lineup after the first inning. She erased a lead-off single in the second by inducing ground ball for a double play, then retired the side in order in the third, fourth and fifth. Nelsen increased Lopez's cushion to four runs when she smacked a two-run single through the middle in the third and Utah's junior southpaw did the rest. Lopez finished off her fourth win of the season with a perfect seventh inning that included her sixth and seventh strikeouts of the afternoon.
Game Two: Utah vs. LMU
Once again, the Utes dented home plate in first inning, this time thanks to a two-out error, followed singles from Julia Jimenez and Nelsen to plate Ellessa Bonstrom. Another LMU miscue helped the Utah lead increase to 2-0 in the fourth, when Hailee White scored from second on a Lion throwing error.
LMU would respond in their half of the fourth, cobbling together a two-out rally capped by a go-ahead two-run homer from Jasmine Sofowora, but the Utes didn't let their opponents hold that lead for long. Two more Lion errors put two runners on with nobody out in the top of the fifth and a pair of wild pitches followed, each scoring a run. Sophie Jacquez added one more with an RBI double and the Utes had their two-run advantage back. Utah upped its lead to 6-3 in the sixth, when Haley Denning swiped third and scored when the catcher's throw sailed into left field.
The Lions best chance to erase their deficit came in the sixth, when they loaded the bases with one out against Lopez, who was in her second inning of relief, but the lefty was able squash the attempted rally. She induced a popup for the second out and followed that with a strikeout to end LMU's last threat of the night. A perfect seventh put the finishing touches on a 2-0 day.
Up Next
Only one game is on Utah's Saturday schedule and it is a 9:30 a.m. PT showdown with No. 2 Oklahoma.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
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