LOS ANGELES – The UCLA Bruins jumped out to a 4-0 first-inning lead and the University of Utah softball was unable to eliminate that deficit, falling by a score of 6-2 on Friday night in Pac-12 Conference action at Easton Stadium in Los Angeles.
This defeat snaps the Utes' seven-game win streak and puts them at 14-7 in 2024 and 0-1 in conference play. The Bruins are now 12-6 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12.
"We got punched in the mouth right at the start of the game today," said coach
Amy Hogue. "The response from Mariah was outstanding. Keeping them at bay for as long as she did after that first inning was what we needed from her. If we want to win in Westwood, we are going to have to make adjustments off their starting pitcher and get some timely hits."
The Bruins took an early lead, utilizing a two-run homer and a two-run double to lead 4-0 after one inning. Utah had a chance to answer in the top of the second, putting two runners on with two outs, but both runners were left stranded.
Over the next three innings,
Mariah Lopez kept the Utes in the game, retiring the side in order in each frame and picking up four strikeouts, but the Bruins upped their lead to 6-0 in the fifth on a Jadelyn Allchin two-run home run.
Utah's offense was able to get on the scoreboard in the sixth, loading the bases with one out on a single and two walks. That brought
Julia Jimenez to the plate and she ripped two-run double into left-center, pulling her team within four, but those would be the only runs the Utes could muster.
Up Next
The Utes and the Bruins will be back on the field on Saturday, with the first pitch being thrown at 7 p.m. MT.
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).