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Softball Sweeps Doubleheader with Idaho State

by Utah Athletics
Apr 28, 2021

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah softball team swept the visiting Idaho State Bengals in a doubleheader Wednesday at Dumke Family Stadium, winning the first game in a six-inning run-rule decision, 14-5, and holding on in the nightcap, 7-6.
 
The Utes (19-23) blasted four home runs in the opening game and Sydney Sandez started both games and earned two wins on the day. Madi Jacobus returned to the lineup after missing several weeks due to injury and was 5-8 combined in the doubleheader with a home run, four RBI and three runs scored. Halle Morris went 4-5 on the day with two runs and two RBI, while Ellessa Bonstrom hit her team-leading 14th home run in game one.
 
STANDOUT STAT
The Utes' 16 hits in the opening game were a season high, as nine different players had at least one hit, including five with multiple hits, led by Madi Jacobus and AJ Militello with three apiece. Each had a home run among her three hits.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Amy Hogue
"We had a lot of offensive production today from some players in the bottom of the lineup and from players coming off the bench. They got the win for us today. Some key two-out RBIs and pinch hits were so necessary to win twice today. The defense was pretty solid as well today. We just need to be better in the circle and the top of our lineup needs to lead us if we want to be a great team.
 
We have a top team in the country coming in town and we have got to clean things up in those areas if we want to have a chance to win this weekend."
 
Game 1: Utah 14, Idaho State 5
The Utes exploded for hits early and late, and many in between, to put away the visiting Bengals in a six-inning run-rule decision. Utah led 9-5 entering the bottom of the sixth before coming through with five runs to end the game early. The deciding hit came off the bat of Jordyn Gasper, whose three-run double to right-center extended the Utes' lead to 14-5 for the final margin.
 
Utah got out of gates early with a pair of runs in the first inning, as leadoff batter Haley Denning and Ellessa Bonstrom had singles and stole second to get in scoring position, and came across the plate on a sacrifice fly by Alyssa Barrera and a single by Madi Jacobus, respectively.
 
The Utes added four more runs in the third inning, powered by back-to-back home runs by Bonstrom and Jacobus, another on a solo home run by Barrera in the fourth. With a 7-4 lead entering the bottom of the fifth, AJ Militello extended the lead to 9-4 with a two-run home run, setting the stage for the sixth-inning walk-off by Gasper.
 
 Game 2: Utah Idaho State
The visiting Bengals jumped out to a 2-0 lead and Utah was unable to score until the third inning when the host Utes erupted for five runs on a combination four hits, a walk and an Idaho State error.
 
Idaho State battled back to tie the game at 5-5 with three runs in the fifth inning, but Utah again responded, this time with a pair of runs to push the lead to 7-5. The go-ahead, and ultimately the winning run, came off the bat of AJ Militello, who roped a triple to right-center to score Halle Morris who had singled. Jordyn Gasper singled to score Militello for an insurance run that proved to be the difference after Idaho State scored a run in the top of the seventh to produce the final score of 7-6.
 
Sydney Sandez started her second game of the day and again earned the win, pitching 6.0 innings before giving way to Mariah Lopez, who earned her second save of the season. Lopez pitched out of a one-out bases-loaded jam in the seventh, getting the final out on a grounder to second.
 
NOTABLE

  • Utah's four home runs in game one matched a season high, last achieved in a 14-12 win at UNLV on Feb. 20.
  • The Utes' 16 hits were a season high and their 14 runs in game one tied a season high achieved twice on Feb. 20 in the UNLV tournament, in wins over California Baptist and UNLV.
  • With a stolen base in each game today Haley Denning is now 28-31 on the season, matching the most in a season by a Utah player since 2002.
  • Madi Jacobus, in her return to the lineup after missing time due to injury, went 5-8 on the day with a home run, 4 RBI and 3 runs scored.
  • Halle Morris was 4-5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs on the day, and pitched two innings of relief in game one.
  • Ellessa Bonstrom has been on home-run tear over the last 11 games, hitting six round-trippers in that span. Her two-run shot in game one was her team-leading 14th of the season.
  • Utah is now 17-2 against non-conference opponents in 2021, with one more to play on May 4 against Weber State at Dumke Family Stadium.

ON DECK
Utah begins a four-game weekend Pac-12 series on Friday against UCLA, at 5 p.m. The two teams get together again for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday.

 

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