Completed Event: Softball versus No. 7 Seed UCF on May 7, 2025 , Loss , 5, to, 7
Final Score
Softball
5
vs No. 7 Seed UCF
7
Thursday, February 15
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
8:30 AM
University of Utah
vs
South Carolina
Photo by: Eli Rehmer/Utah Athletics
Utah Softball Set to Test Mettle at Puerto Vallarta Challenge
2/14/2024 3:18 PM | Softball
Utes to play three ranked foes in five days in Mexico
SALT LAKE CITY – The first five games of the 2024 season are in the books for the University of Utah softball team and after a 4-1 start, the Utes are heading to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they'll run through one of the most difficult stretches in their non-conference schedule while playing five games in four days at the Puerto Vallarta Challenge from Feb. 15-18 .
The Utes' first test will be on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. MT), when they'll battle the No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks, followed later that day by a 2:30 p.m. CT matchup with the No. 25 Auburn Tigers. On Friday, Utah is scheduled to square off with the No. 8 Clemson Tigers at 8:30 p.m. CT and Saturday's schedule pits them against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 6 p.m. CT. The Utes conclude their time in Mexico on Sunday by tangling with the UC San Diego Tritons at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Feb. 15 – 18 Schedule
How to Follow
Every game during the Utes time in Puerto Vallarta will be streamed on FloSports and fans can also follow along via live stats links on UtahUtes.com.
Last Time Out
The Utes hit on all cylinders during the season's opening weekend and through five games, the team owns a 1.60 ERA and a batting average of .345.
In the circle, Mariah Lopez and Sarah Ladd both spent the first weekend shutting down the opposition, as they combined to allow only five earned runs across 31 innings and Ladd earned all-tournament honors. The senior from California started the season with a complete game win over Army and later fired six shutout innings against N.C. Central. Lopez, meanwhile threw 10 frames over her last two starts without letting an earned run cross the plate.
No one in Utah's lineup was tougher to get out at the NFCA Leadoff Classic than Haley Denning, as evidenced by her .588 batting average. Her 10 hits and nine steals both put her in the top 10 nationally and she scored in a run in four of Utah's first five contests before picking up two RBIs in the finale. This makes twice in Denning's career she's started a season with hits in each of her first five games, the first instance coming in 2021.
Utah's left fielder is by no means the only one swinging a hot bat, however. Five other Utes hit over .300 in Florida, including Karlie Davison, who's carrying a .538 clip. Davison also walked twice during the first weekend of play has already drawn multiple walks in a game more times than she accomplished that as a freshman. Neither Abby Dayton nor Kaylah Nelsen has struck out once through five games, while Leilani's Melendez's four RBIs are second-most on the roster, trailing only Julia Jimenez's five.
Scouting the Opposition
Both Auburn and South Carolina came within one win over making a trip to the super regional round in 2023 and it was Clemson that stopped Auburn from moving on. Coach John Rittman's squad made its second consecutive trip to supers before being stopped by eventual National Champion Oklahoma.
The most significant contributor to Clemson's success in 2023 was USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Valerie Cagle, who broke single-season program records for hits, homers and doubles. She also ranked in the top 20 nationally in nine different statistics, including victories. On the mound, she collected 25 wins, pitched to 1.56 ERA and logged eight shutouts. So far in 2024, Cagle has already pitched in five games, permitting only a single earned run, while going 7-for-17 at the plate.
Auburn got to open their 2024 campaign at home, though inclement weather led to a pair of cancellations. The biggest name on the Tigers' roster is All-American and 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year Maddie Penta, who went 27-7 as a junior with 303 strikeouts, second-most in the nation. She also hurled eight complete game shutouts. Auburn also boats a lineup that includes preseason all-conference nominee Nelia Peralta and transfers Amelia Leach and Anna Wohlers, who combined for 28 homers in 2023.
The Gamecocks roared out the gate, starting 2024 with five straight wins in a season opening tournament on their home field. Two of those wins were claimed by sophomore Jori Heard, while coach Beverly Smith also got her first look at senior transfer and former All-American pitcher Alana Vawter, who the Utes became familiar with during her time at Stanford. The fastest starter in the Gamecock lineup so far has been infielder Riley Blampied, who has started the season 10-for-17 with a homer and six RBIs.
2024 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/13/2024)
Schedule Facts
The Utes are set to play 54 games in the 2024 regular season before the Pac-12 Tournament begins on May 8. That slate includes nine teams that ended 2023 nationally ranked and 14 squads who reached the NCAA Tournament. The Utes will play ball in five states as well and will travel to Mexico for the first time since 2020.
Ranked Utes
The Utes have been ranked as high as No. 13 in the national polls, which represents the highest preseason ranking for Utah since Amy Hogue took over as head coach in 2008.
The Utes also ended the 2023 season ranked as high as No. 7, the highest ranking the program has ever achieved. The Utes were ranked for a total of nine weeks during the previous season.
Record Watch
After a 2023 campaign that saw a slew of records fall, more all-time marks are on the chopping block in 2024. Haley Denning enters the year with three all-time records within reach, including the Utah record of 263 career hits, currently held by Hannah Flippen, but Denning needs only 28 more knocks to beat that total. She's also 31 steals and 42 runs away from being the career leader in both of those statistics.
Win Milestones
The Utes ended the 2023 campaign with 42 wins to their credit, tied for the fourth-most in program history and their .724 win percentage was the third-best ever. Utah also reached 40 wins for the seventh time in school history.
In Pac-12 play, the Utes piled up 15 victories, their most since joining the conference prior to the 2012 season. It also went down in the record book as the team's highest conference overall since 2000, when they collected 15 triumphs in the Mountain West.
Record Breakers
Utah's offense rewrote the program record book in 2023 and one of the new marks added was in runs scored, where the Utes surpassed the previous mark of 349, set in 2014, by racking up 351 runs.
The Utes also bested the previous program-highs in stolen bases (99), slugging percentage (.423) and doubles (84) and the squad's 316 RBIs also matched their most ever.
On the individual leaderboard, Ellessa Bonstrom rose to the top of the list in all-time RBIs and walks. Outfielder Haley Denning also became the third Ute in school history to reach 100 career stolen bases.
All the Awards
A long list of awards and honors was bestowed upon Utah's student-athletes in 2023, including All-American selections for Mariah Lopez and Ellessa Bonstrom.
Lopez was named a Third-Team All-American by the NFCA, the first Utah pitcher to be so honored since Ali Sagas in 1994. Bonstrom, a D1Softball Second-Team All-American, is one of only four Utes to achieve All-American status twice.
Eight different Utes landed on the all-conference and all-region rosters and four Utah student-athletes were named First-Team All-Pac-12, both of which were the most ever achieved by the program. Utah's first All-Pac-12 First-Team performers were Mariah Lopez, Abby Dayton, Aliya Belarde and Ellessa Bonstrom. Sophie Jacquez, Haley Denning and Julia Jimenez ladned on the second-team, while Sydney Sandez was a third-team choice.
Ranked Record
The Utes succeeded in the face of one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2023 and posted an 11-11 record in 22 games against ranked opponents. That mark included two series sweeps against top 25 opposition. The Utes scored a home sweep of No. 5 Stanford in April, the highest ranked team Utah has ever swept in a series. The Utes also finished the regular season by taking three-in-a-row from No. 13 Oregon, the program's first-ever sweep of the Ducks.
Senior Class
The 2024 season will be the last one in a Utah uniform for the program's eight-person senior class of Aliya Belarde, Stella Bennett, Haley Denning, Chloe Doyle, Sophie Jacquez, Julia Jimenez, Sarah Ladd and Mariah Lopez.
Five of those eight student-athletes have achieved all-conference status and both Denning and Jimenez can claim All-Pac-12 honors in multiple seasons.
Coaching Staff Additions
Two new faces have joined head coach Amy Hogue's staff for the 2024 campaign. Courtney Martinez comes to Utah from Iowa State and Kaija Gibson has donned Utah colors after spending two years with UCF.
Martinez spent six seasons with the Cyclones, helping the squad reset the program record for homers in a season three times and pile up 37 wins in 2019, the second-highest total in school history. She also helped tutor 2021 First-Team All-American Sami Williams.
Gibson, who not long ago was playing against the Utes with Washington, was part of two Golden Knights teams that won the AAC Tournament Championship to earn spots in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, UCF rolled up 49 wins and Gibson and her colleagues were named the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year and the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024 campaign are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-8849 or visit www.utahtickets.com/softball/.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
The Utes' first test will be on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. MT), when they'll battle the No. 20 South Carolina Gamecocks, followed later that day by a 2:30 p.m. CT matchup with the No. 25 Auburn Tigers. On Friday, Utah is scheduled to square off with the No. 8 Clemson Tigers at 8:30 p.m. CT and Saturday's schedule pits them against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at 6 p.m. CT. The Utes conclude their time in Mexico on Sunday by tangling with the UC San Diego Tritons at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Feb. 15 – 18 Schedule
| Date | Game | Live Stats/Watch |
| Feb. 15 | Utah vs. South Carolina | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 15 | Utah vs. Auburn | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 16 | Utah vs. Clemson | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 17 | Utah vs. Mississippi State | Live Stats / Watch |
| Feb. 18 | Utah vs. UC San Diego | Live Stats / Watch |
How to Follow
Every game during the Utes time in Puerto Vallarta will be streamed on FloSports and fans can also follow along via live stats links on UtahUtes.com.
Last Time Out
The Utes hit on all cylinders during the season's opening weekend and through five games, the team owns a 1.60 ERA and a batting average of .345.
In the circle, Mariah Lopez and Sarah Ladd both spent the first weekend shutting down the opposition, as they combined to allow only five earned runs across 31 innings and Ladd earned all-tournament honors. The senior from California started the season with a complete game win over Army and later fired six shutout innings against N.C. Central. Lopez, meanwhile threw 10 frames over her last two starts without letting an earned run cross the plate.
No one in Utah's lineup was tougher to get out at the NFCA Leadoff Classic than Haley Denning, as evidenced by her .588 batting average. Her 10 hits and nine steals both put her in the top 10 nationally and she scored in a run in four of Utah's first five contests before picking up two RBIs in the finale. This makes twice in Denning's career she's started a season with hits in each of her first five games, the first instance coming in 2021.
Utah's left fielder is by no means the only one swinging a hot bat, however. Five other Utes hit over .300 in Florida, including Karlie Davison, who's carrying a .538 clip. Davison also walked twice during the first weekend of play has already drawn multiple walks in a game more times than she accomplished that as a freshman. Neither Abby Dayton nor Kaylah Nelsen has struck out once through five games, while Leilani's Melendez's four RBIs are second-most on the roster, trailing only Julia Jimenez's five.
Scouting the Opposition
Both Auburn and South Carolina came within one win over making a trip to the super regional round in 2023 and it was Clemson that stopped Auburn from moving on. Coach John Rittman's squad made its second consecutive trip to supers before being stopped by eventual National Champion Oklahoma.
The most significant contributor to Clemson's success in 2023 was USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Valerie Cagle, who broke single-season program records for hits, homers and doubles. She also ranked in the top 20 nationally in nine different statistics, including victories. On the mound, she collected 25 wins, pitched to 1.56 ERA and logged eight shutouts. So far in 2024, Cagle has already pitched in five games, permitting only a single earned run, while going 7-for-17 at the plate.
Auburn got to open their 2024 campaign at home, though inclement weather led to a pair of cancellations. The biggest name on the Tigers' roster is All-American and 2023 SEC Pitcher of the Year Maddie Penta, who went 27-7 as a junior with 303 strikeouts, second-most in the nation. She also hurled eight complete game shutouts. Auburn also boats a lineup that includes preseason all-conference nominee Nelia Peralta and transfers Amelia Leach and Anna Wohlers, who combined for 28 homers in 2023.
The Gamecocks roared out the gate, starting 2024 with five straight wins in a season opening tournament on their home field. Two of those wins were claimed by sophomore Jori Heard, while coach Beverly Smith also got her first look at senior transfer and former All-American pitcher Alana Vawter, who the Utes became familiar with during her time at Stanford. The fastest starter in the Gamecock lineup so far has been infielder Riley Blampied, who has started the season 10-for-17 with a homer and six RBIs.
2024 Team Stat Leaders (as of 2/13/2024)
| Batting Avg. | Haley Denning | .588 | |
| Slugging % | Karlie Davison | .615 | |
| On Base % | Karlie Davison | .647 | |
| Runs Scored | Haley Denning | 7 | |
| Hits | Haley Denning | 10 | |
| RBI | Julia Jimenez | 5 | |
| Doubles | Julia Jimenez | 2 | |
| Home Runs | |||
| Stolen Bases | Haley Denning | 9 | |
| ERA | Sarah Ladd | 0.47 (15.0 IP) |
| K's | Mariah Lopez | 11 |
| Wins | Mariah Lopez Sarah Ladd |
2 |
Schedule Facts
The Utes are set to play 54 games in the 2024 regular season before the Pac-12 Tournament begins on May 8. That slate includes nine teams that ended 2023 nationally ranked and 14 squads who reached the NCAA Tournament. The Utes will play ball in five states as well and will travel to Mexico for the first time since 2020.
Ranked Utes
The Utes have been ranked as high as No. 13 in the national polls, which represents the highest preseason ranking for Utah since Amy Hogue took over as head coach in 2008.
The Utes also ended the 2023 season ranked as high as No. 7, the highest ranking the program has ever achieved. The Utes were ranked for a total of nine weeks during the previous season.
Record Watch
After a 2023 campaign that saw a slew of records fall, more all-time marks are on the chopping block in 2024. Haley Denning enters the year with three all-time records within reach, including the Utah record of 263 career hits, currently held by Hannah Flippen, but Denning needs only 28 more knocks to beat that total. She's also 31 steals and 42 runs away from being the career leader in both of those statistics.
Win Milestones
The Utes ended the 2023 campaign with 42 wins to their credit, tied for the fourth-most in program history and their .724 win percentage was the third-best ever. Utah also reached 40 wins for the seventh time in school history.
In Pac-12 play, the Utes piled up 15 victories, their most since joining the conference prior to the 2012 season. It also went down in the record book as the team's highest conference overall since 2000, when they collected 15 triumphs in the Mountain West.
Record Breakers
Utah's offense rewrote the program record book in 2023 and one of the new marks added was in runs scored, where the Utes surpassed the previous mark of 349, set in 2014, by racking up 351 runs.
The Utes also bested the previous program-highs in stolen bases (99), slugging percentage (.423) and doubles (84) and the squad's 316 RBIs also matched their most ever.
On the individual leaderboard, Ellessa Bonstrom rose to the top of the list in all-time RBIs and walks. Outfielder Haley Denning also became the third Ute in school history to reach 100 career stolen bases.
All the Awards
A long list of awards and honors was bestowed upon Utah's student-athletes in 2023, including All-American selections for Mariah Lopez and Ellessa Bonstrom.
Lopez was named a Third-Team All-American by the NFCA, the first Utah pitcher to be so honored since Ali Sagas in 1994. Bonstrom, a D1Softball Second-Team All-American, is one of only four Utes to achieve All-American status twice.
Eight different Utes landed on the all-conference and all-region rosters and four Utah student-athletes were named First-Team All-Pac-12, both of which were the most ever achieved by the program. Utah's first All-Pac-12 First-Team performers were Mariah Lopez, Abby Dayton, Aliya Belarde and Ellessa Bonstrom. Sophie Jacquez, Haley Denning and Julia Jimenez ladned on the second-team, while Sydney Sandez was a third-team choice.
Ranked Record
The Utes succeeded in the face of one of the nation's toughest schedules in 2023 and posted an 11-11 record in 22 games against ranked opponents. That mark included two series sweeps against top 25 opposition. The Utes scored a home sweep of No. 5 Stanford in April, the highest ranked team Utah has ever swept in a series. The Utes also finished the regular season by taking three-in-a-row from No. 13 Oregon, the program's first-ever sweep of the Ducks.
Senior Class
The 2024 season will be the last one in a Utah uniform for the program's eight-person senior class of Aliya Belarde, Stella Bennett, Haley Denning, Chloe Doyle, Sophie Jacquez, Julia Jimenez, Sarah Ladd and Mariah Lopez.
Five of those eight student-athletes have achieved all-conference status and both Denning and Jimenez can claim All-Pac-12 honors in multiple seasons.
Coaching Staff Additions
Two new faces have joined head coach Amy Hogue's staff for the 2024 campaign. Courtney Martinez comes to Utah from Iowa State and Kaija Gibson has donned Utah colors after spending two years with UCF.
Martinez spent six seasons with the Cyclones, helping the squad reset the program record for homers in a season three times and pile up 37 wins in 2019, the second-highest total in school history. She also helped tutor 2021 First-Team All-American Sami Williams.
Gibson, who not long ago was playing against the Utes with Washington, was part of two Golden Knights teams that won the AAC Tournament Championship to earn spots in the NCAA Tournament. In 2022, UCF rolled up 49 wins and Gibson and her colleagues were named the AAC Coaching Staff of the Year and the NFCA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year.
Season Tickets
Season tickets for the 2024 campaign are now available. Fans can purchase season tickets by calling the Utah ticket office at 801-581-8849 or visit www.utahtickets.com/softball/.
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).
Players Mentioned
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