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Series Finale Goes the Way of No. 2 UCLA Sunday

by Utah Athletics
May 2, 2021

SALT LAKE CITY – Freshman Mariah Lopez pitched admirably for much of the game Sunday, holding the No. 2 UCLA Bruins to just one hit through the first five innings, but UCLA's late rally fueled a 6-1 win for the visitors on Sunday at Dumke Family Stadium.
 
The game's only run entering the sixth inning had come in the form of a solo home run by UCLA's Maya Brady in the second inning. But the Bruins added one in the sixth and four more in the seventh to take a 6-0 lead.
 
The Utes had threatened in the fifth inning after Ellessa Bonstrom led off with a single through the right side and Destiny Quiles followed with a walk. After a fielder's choice left runners still on first and second, UCLA clamped down and got the next two outs to strand two. Utah left two more runners on base in the sixth inning after back-to-back batters—Halle Morris and Alyssa Barrera—were hit by pitches but could not advance and score.
 
Utah's lone run came in the bottom of the seventh when AJ Militello blasted her fourth home run of the season to right field.
 
UCLA improves to 32-3 (13-2 Pac-12) while Utah is now 19-27 (2-16 Pac-12).
 
STANDOUT STAT
Freshman pitcher Mariah Lopez handled a treacherous UCLA lineup well, allowing just one hit for a 1-0 deficit through five inning to give the Utes a chance for the win. She finished the game with four strikeouts in her 6-1/3 innings of work.
 
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Amy Hogue
"Mariah was the one that gave us the best chance to beat this team. Even with the walks, they have a hard time hitting her, and those walks did not hurt until they went to their short game. That was the difference-maker. As soon as they tried to start just putting it in play, even their big hitters, that's what won it for them. Tip your cap to Mariah. She has now faced them three times and she did well enough against them the first time down in Arizona that we knew she was going to be the one to give us the best shot.
 
Mariah did exactly what she was supposed to do. What hurt us was our offense. It has to be better. I know they have great pitching and I know it's going be tough to score 7 or 5, but we had chances when the games were in reach, and we just don't have enough offense right now."

NOTABLE

  • AJ Militello hit her fourth home run of the season in the seventh inning.
  • With four strikeouts today, Mariah Lopez increased her team-leading total to 64 for the season.
  • Haley Denning as 2-4 at the plate today to record her team-leading 20th multi-hit game of the season. She has 14 two-hit games and six three-hit games.

ON DECK
The Utes welcome Weber State for a single game on Tuesday, May 4, making up a game that was originally scheduled for April 16, but was postponed because of weather.

 

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