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Utes Push No. 1 Bruins to Limit But Come Up Short in Pair of Games

by Utah Athletics
Mar 1, 2021

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Boxscore

TEMPE, Ariz. – Utah went toe-to-toe with the nation's No. 1-ranked team on Monday before falling to UCLA, 6-5, and could not get the bats going in the nightcap, dropping an 8-2 decision to No. 13/11 Arizona State. Today's games wrapped up a three-game set against Pac-12 foes at ASU's Farrington Stadium.
 
Halle Morris homered in each game for Utah (9-5), and freshman Mariah Lopez started against the No. 1 Bruins and struck out six batters in 5.0 innings of work to take over the team lead with 23.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach Amy Hogue
"Halle Morris had a breakout weekend. She swung it well and did a great job in the circle. Jordyn (Gasper) was also someone who took her game to another level this weekend. Mariah (Lopez) threw a great game against #1 UCLA, facing some of the best hitters in the nation, and put us in position to win that game. She has really grown since the first game of the year three weeks ago."
 
"We have some things to clean up in our game, but I know, even without winning a game this weekend, we got a lot better."
 
STANDOUT STAT
Madi Jacobus extended her hitting streak to 12 today. Her hit vs. UCLA was a 2-run HR to give Utah an early 2-1 lead, and it came down to her final at-bat against ASU, when she came through with an RBI single in the 6th to score Haley Denning.

No. 1/1 UCLA 6, Utah 5
Utah built a 5-2 lead after four innings and still led 5-3 entering the top of the sixth inning before the top-ranked Bruins (8-1) caught fire and scored four runs over the final two innings for a 6-5 win. The Utes managed just five hits, but made them count, leaving no runners on base for the game.
 
A two-run homer to right-center by Madi Jacobus, her third of the year, gave Utah a 2-1 lead in the second inning, and Jordyn Gasper added her first career home run in third to break a 2-2 tie. Utah added one more on a wild pitch that scored Denning, and Halle Morris's solo home run in the fourth pushed Utah's lead to 5-2.
 
Megan Faraimo earned the win for UCLA, while Mariah Lopez (1-3) took the loss for the Utes.
 
No. 13/11 ASU 8, Utah 2
Arizona State used a six-run second inning to build a 7-0 lead and Utah was never able to mount a rally to challenge the Sun Devils (11-1). Halle Morris blasted her second home run of the day in the third inning to cut the deficit to 7-1, and Madi Jacobus singled in a run in the sixth to make the score 8-2.
 
Mary Beth Feldman (1-1) started for the Utes before being replaced in the third inning by Morris, who pitched effectively over the final 4.0 innings of work, allowing just one earned run on four hits.
 
NOTABLE

  • Halle Morris hit a solo home run in each game today, and now has 3 for the season.
  • Utah has hit at least one home run in each of the last six games, and has hit 14 in that span.
  • Freshman Mariah Lopez struck out 6 batters in 5.0 innings pitched vs. UCLA and now leads the team with 23 Ks.
  • Freshman Aliyah Belarde made her first career start at shortstop against UCLA, and did so again vs. ASU.
  • Haley Denning stole two bases vs. UCLA, swiping 2nd and 3rd base in the third inning and coming in to score on a wild pitch. She is 12-13 on the season.

ON DECK
Utah (9-5) will have an 11-day break before taking part in the Dixie State Tournament, March 12-14 in St. George, Utah. The Utes will face Southern Utah, Boise State, Weber State and host Dixie State.

 

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