Softball Sweeps Final Day at Judi Garman Classic, Defeating Penn & Seattle
FULLERTON, Calif.- Utah softball swept the final day of the Judi Garman Classic on Sunday, defeating both Penn and Seattle University in a five inning run rule. The Utes took down the Quakers of Penn, 13-3 and shutout the Redhawks, 9-0.
With two games against LMU left on Tuesday, the Utes move to 15-6 overall and finished the Garman Classic with a 4-1 record.
Game 1: Utes 13, Penn 3
Utah tied for their highest single-game run total of the season scoring 13 runs on just eight hits. Julia Jimenez, Halle Morris and Kendall Lundberg each had two or more RBI to lead the Ute offense. Lefty Mariah Lopez earned her fifth win of the season going 4.0 innings and allowing four hits.
Utah took an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first after some small ball moved Denning over to third and Bonstrom was walked. Taking her eighth bag of the season, Bonstrom put two Utes in scoring position and set up Jimenez who singled up the middle to score both.
The Quakers put one on the board in the bottom frame off a deep fly to center that Ute centerfielder tracked down but her momentum took her into the fence, allowing the ball to come loose out of her glove. Penn hit their second home run of the game the next inning to tie it up.
Staying knotted up through the third, Sophie Jacquez showed off her speed on the paths singling and advancing all the way to third. Ensuing batter, Jordyn Gasper, hit a sacrifice fly to right and drove in Jacquez to take the 3-2 advantage. Later in the frame, the Utes were able to cross two more off of two errors by the Quaker defense.
Utah blew open the game in the fifth scoring eight on four hits, brining the run rule into play. Bonstrom started the fun with a leadoff homerun, her sixth of the season. Jimenez lined a shot to right center for her third double of the season as a Halle Morris single later scored Jimenez. Lundberg found her second hit of the game to drive in another run.
Penn had some life in the bottom of the fifth with a double to start the frame but couldn't score the runner as freshman Hailey Harris closed the game for Lopez.
Utah stole five bases in the contest, their seventh game of four or more bags taken this year.
Game 2: Utes 9, Seattle U 0
Senior arm Sydney Sandez was given the start in the circle for the second game and was in command throughout pitching her fifth shutout of the season. Sandez went five innings, striking out four and giving up only two hits.
Offensively, Denning, Bonstrom, Jimenez and Jacquez combined for nine of the 10 total hits for the Utes in the 9-0 victory.
Carrying the momentum over from the fifth inning in the game before, Utah put a crooked number on the board early in the first scoring four. Jacquez highlighted the inning lining her fourth double of the weekend and eighth of the year to score Jimenez and put Utah up 4-0.
The Utes added one more in the second off a bases loaded walk and Leilani Melendez got things going in the third drawing a walk and advanced to third after Denning laid down a bunt. Bonstrom then grounded to first allowing Melendez to cross.
Jacquez hit her second double of the game and catcher Katie Faulk hit her second home run of the tournament with a deep shot over the left center fence to extend the lead 8-0 after four.
Utah scored their final run in the fifth as Aliya Belarde reached on a fielder's choice and Bonstrom followed with a shot down the right field line to score Belarde from first.
Sandez earned her sixth win of the season facing just three more than the minimum in five innings of work.
Up Next
Utah will have the day off tomorrow before closing out their California road trip with a double header against Loyola Marymount on Tuesday. The games are slated to begin at 12:00pm and 2:30pm MT at Smith Field on the campus of LMU.
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