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
The University of Utah Athletics
Sunday, February 26
Palm Springs, Calif.
10 a.m.
University of Utah
10-4
9
vs
1
Ohio State
6-6
1
2
3
4
5
R
H
E
Ohio St
0
1
0
0
0
1
7
2
Utah
2
1
0
3
3
9
13
0
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Lopez, Mariah (5-2)
L: Ruck, Emily (1-3)
Batting:
HR: Otte, Meggie 1
RBI: Otte, Meggie 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Otte, Meggie 1
CS: Wilkison, Melina 1
Batting:
2B: Belarde, Aliya 1 ; Lundberg, Kendall 1
HR: Jimenez, Julia 1
RBI: Denning, Haley 1 ; Belarde, Aliya 4 ; Jimenez, Julia 2 ; Lundberg, Kendall 1
SH: Denning, Haley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Denning, Haley 1 ; Belarde, Aliya 1 ; Jimenez, Julia 1 ; Ortiz, Shelbi 1 ; Lundberg, Kendall 1 ; White, Hailee 1 ; Gasper, Jordyn 3
SB: Bonstrom, Ellessa 1 ; Ortiz, Shelbi 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
4
AB
3
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
2
R
3
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTIL
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
P
/ SoftballC
/ SoftballOF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Utah Softball Drops Ohio State, Long Beach State
2/26/2023 6:32 PM | Softball
Belarde drives in five as Utes pocket 9-1 and 4-0 victories
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Mariah Lopez and Sydney Sandez combined to allow one earned run over 12 innings and Aliya Belarde racked up five RBIs, helping lead the University of Utah softball team to a pair Sunday victories, starting with a 9-1 drubbing of the Ohio State Buckeyes followed by a 4-0 shutout of Long Beach State on the final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic at the Big League Dreams Sports Park.
Utah's record is now 11-4 in 2023.
"I'm so proud of this team!" said head coach Amy Hogue. "Today's wins were huge for us. I'm very happy leaving here with 4 wins this weekend. "Today was another big day for Mariah and Syd. Both teams have been scoring a lot of runs and our pitchers shut them down today. In game one, our offense scored early and kept their foot on the pedal the entire time. In game two, we also scored early but didn't push more runs as the game went, so we needed Syd to step up and she really did. I thought she got better as the innings went and I'm proud of the complete game she threw."
Game One: Utah vs. Ohio State
The Buckeyes collected seven hits against Lopez, but only one went for extra bases and Lopez stranded runners in scoring position in three different innings. The initial instance came in the first inning, when back-to-back singles put runners on first and second, but a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play followed by a line drive snared by Belarde snuffed out that rally.
Utah's lineup wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard, putting a runner on with one out for Julia Jimenez, who drilled a 3-0 pitch to left-center for a two-run homer and a 2-0 lead. The Buckeyes got one of those runs back a on solo shot in the second, but the Utes answered in the bottom half thanks to a walk, a sacrifice and a Belarde RBI double.
After Lopez stranded two more runners on the top of the fourth, the Utah offense went back to work to boost their lead to five. With one out, Kendall Lundberg smacked a double and pinch-runner Hailee White moved to third on a Jordyn Gasper safety. A Haley Denning single combined with an OSU error cashed in White and Gasper and when Denning scored one batter later, the Utes' had a 6-1 edge.
In the bottom of the fifth, a Kaylah Nelsen single and a Shelbi Ortiz stolen base sparked another three-run inning that ended the game. Lundberg's second hit plated Ortiz with Utah's seventh run and a single and a walk soon had Belarde back at the dish with a the bases loaded. The junior infielder stroked her third hit of the game through the middle, tallying Gasper and Lundberg with the winning runs.
Game Two: Utah vs. Long Beach State
Sandez silenced LBSU for seven innings to collect her fifth win of the year, limiting the opposition to four singles and a double and striking out four. She squelched a two-on, one-out opportunity in the second by inducing a grounder back to the mound and turning it into a 1-5-3 double play. In the fourth, the Utes killed another potential uprising by throwing out a runner at third on a Corissa Sweet double, then Sandez retired the next two hitters on ground balls to keep her scoreless outing intact.
For the sixth straight game, Utah dented home plate in the first inning and this time it was Denning and Belarde who lit the fuse with back-to-back knocks. Ellessa Bonstrom and Jimenez brought in both runners with sacrifice flies for 2-0 edge.
In the second, Denning singled, stole second and scored on another Belarde base hit to up the lead to three and Karlie Davison's two-out hit in the fourth plated Ortiz for Utah's final run of the day. Sandez did the rest, permitting only two singles over the final three frames and using a strikeout and a groundout to get the final two outs in the seventh, leaving two more runners on base and preserving her first complete game shutout of the year.
"Denning was a highlight for me, finding several ways to pick apart the defense and getting five hits today via the shortgame," said Hogue. "She really set the tone for us in the leadoff spot. Juju continues to get a big hit for us in every game, and Belarde was clutch with 5 RBIs to lead our team today. We started a win streak today that I look forward to continuing as we head to Hawaii next week."
Up Next
The next stop for the Utes is Hawaii Spring Fling, which they'll start on Friday by taking on St. Bonaventure and Santa Clara.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Utah's record is now 11-4 in 2023.
"I'm so proud of this team!" said head coach Amy Hogue. "Today's wins were huge for us. I'm very happy leaving here with 4 wins this weekend. "Today was another big day for Mariah and Syd. Both teams have been scoring a lot of runs and our pitchers shut them down today. In game one, our offense scored early and kept their foot on the pedal the entire time. In game two, we also scored early but didn't push more runs as the game went, so we needed Syd to step up and she really did. I thought she got better as the innings went and I'm proud of the complete game she threw."
Game One: Utah vs. Ohio State
The Buckeyes collected seven hits against Lopez, but only one went for extra bases and Lopez stranded runners in scoring position in three different innings. The initial instance came in the first inning, when back-to-back singles put runners on first and second, but a strike-'em-out, throw-'em-out double play followed by a line drive snared by Belarde snuffed out that rally.
Utah's lineup wasted no time lighting up the scoreboard, putting a runner on with one out for Julia Jimenez, who drilled a 3-0 pitch to left-center for a two-run homer and a 2-0 lead. The Buckeyes got one of those runs back a on solo shot in the second, but the Utes answered in the bottom half thanks to a walk, a sacrifice and a Belarde RBI double.
After Lopez stranded two more runners on the top of the fourth, the Utah offense went back to work to boost their lead to five. With one out, Kendall Lundberg smacked a double and pinch-runner Hailee White moved to third on a Jordyn Gasper safety. A Haley Denning single combined with an OSU error cashed in White and Gasper and when Denning scored one batter later, the Utes' had a 6-1 edge.
In the bottom of the fifth, a Kaylah Nelsen single and a Shelbi Ortiz stolen base sparked another three-run inning that ended the game. Lundberg's second hit plated Ortiz with Utah's seventh run and a single and a walk soon had Belarde back at the dish with a the bases loaded. The junior infielder stroked her third hit of the game through the middle, tallying Gasper and Lundberg with the winning runs.
Game Two: Utah vs. Long Beach State
Sandez silenced LBSU for seven innings to collect her fifth win of the year, limiting the opposition to four singles and a double and striking out four. She squelched a two-on, one-out opportunity in the second by inducing a grounder back to the mound and turning it into a 1-5-3 double play. In the fourth, the Utes killed another potential uprising by throwing out a runner at third on a Corissa Sweet double, then Sandez retired the next two hitters on ground balls to keep her scoreless outing intact.
For the sixth straight game, Utah dented home plate in the first inning and this time it was Denning and Belarde who lit the fuse with back-to-back knocks. Ellessa Bonstrom and Jimenez brought in both runners with sacrifice flies for 2-0 edge.
In the second, Denning singled, stole second and scored on another Belarde base hit to up the lead to three and Karlie Davison's two-out hit in the fourth plated Ortiz for Utah's final run of the day. Sandez did the rest, permitting only two singles over the final three frames and using a strikeout and a groundout to get the final two outs in the seventh, leaving two more runners on base and preserving her first complete game shutout of the year.
"Denning was a highlight for me, finding several ways to pick apart the defense and getting five hits today via the shortgame," said Hogue. "She really set the tone for us in the leadoff spot. Juju continues to get a big hit for us in every game, and Belarde was clutch with 5 RBIs to lead our team today. We started a win streak today that I look forward to continuing as we head to Hawaii next week."
Up Next
The next stop for the Utes is Hawaii Spring Fling, which they'll start on Friday by taking on St. Bonaventure and Santa Clara.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
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