TUCSON, Ariz. –
Ellessa Bonstrom smacked a go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the seventh and the No. 23 University of Utah softball team roared back from deficits of 7-1 and 11-5 to knock off the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats 13-11 and claim a series victory on Sunday in Pac-12 Conference action at Hillenbrand Stadium.
This is the first time since joining the Pac-12 the Utes have won their first two series in league play and the first time overall they've accomplished that feat since 2011. Utah is now 21-5 for the year and 5-1 in the conference.
This represents Utah's largest comeback victory since they overcame a 6-0 deficit to beat California on April 3, 2015.
"That was one of the best comebacks I've ever been a part of!" said head coach
Amy Hogue. "A rubber match in the Pac-12 is always something to look forward to, especially on the road. If you weren't at the game, you have to know the crowd was electric and it was a tough environment for our team. Being behind by six runs after the second and then again after the fourth, our backs were definitely against the wall. It took every one of our players to get it done today."
The Utes got on the board first thanks to an RBI double by
Julia Jimenez in the opening frame, but the Wildcats responded with a grand slam in their half of the first, then tacked on three more in the second to make the score 7-1.
Utah's first attempt to stage a comeback occurred in the third, when they loaded the bases with one out and
Shelbi Ortiz plated a pair with a base hit to left. The next batter was
Abby Dayton and she drove a double into the gap in left-center to bring in two more and slice the home team's lead to two runs. Unfortunately for the Utes, the Wildcats put together a four-run rally in the fourth to return their advantage to six runs, but Utah's offense quickly went back to work.
The top of the fifth started with a Bonstrom double and a Jimenez single and
Sophie Jacquez tallied the first run of the inning with a single to center. Two batters later, Dayton lofted a two-run double into left-center and after a
Kendall Lundberg single and stolen base from
Hailee White, the Utes had second and third with one out. When Arizona's Aissa Silva uncorked a wild pitch, both runners came across and visiting team had cut its deficit to just one.
An RBI single from Jacquez in the sixth eliminated all that remained of the Wildcats' lead and Bonstrom provided day's final heroics in the seventh, crushing an 0-1 pitch over the right field fence with a runner on to give the Utes' their first lead of the day.
While Utah's lineup was wiping out the Wildcats' lead,
Halle Morris silenced Arizona's bats, throwing scoreless innings in the fifth and the sixth and she was no less overpowering when her team handed her the lead. Morris retired the side in order in the seventh, completing an outing in which she recorded nine outs while facing only eight batters and icing a series triumph for the Utes.
"Our effort in innings five through seven, led by our two seniors from Tucson, was absolutely amazing," said Hogue. "We had eight unanswered runs, with the final two being a two-run bomb by Bonstrom, to put us on top. Halle's three hitless, shutout innings to end it was exactly what we needed. She was absolutely perfect for us today and helped us close out the series road win."
Up Next
The next time the Utes step on the field it will be at home on Wednesday, when they'll host the Boise State Broncos at 4 p.m.
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