Sandez’s Superb Effort Propels No. 19 Utah Softball Past California

BERKELEY Calif. – Sydney Sandez twirled scoreless ball over the final six innings on her way to a complete game victory and the No. 19 University of Utah softball team collected a 3-1 win over the California Golden Bears on Friday afternoon in Pac-12 Conference action at Levine-Fricke Field.
 
This triumph puts Utah's Pac-12 record at 6-1, improving on what was already the program's best start since joining the league, and improves the team's overall mark to 22-5. This also marks the first time since 2014 the Utes have opened a road series against California with a win. The Golden Bears are 4-5-1 in conference and 22-9-1 overall.
 
"Syd was fantastic today," said head coach Amy Hogue. "It was nice to get a win with our pitching and defense today. It's so hard to throw a complete game in the PAC. Cal is a great hitting team and Syd's game elevated to another level at the end. She got ahead of hitters, especially late in the game, and put herself in position to get their hitters out on the pitch she wanted to throw. Our defense made plays behind her all day, with the biggest play of the game coming from Denning on the shallow line drive hit by Smith."
 
Both offenses found success early, starting with a top of the first that began with a Haley Denning single. When an Aliya Belarde ground ball turned into a fielder's choice with two California errors, Denning scampered all the way home with the game's first run. Two batters later, Belarde came across on a groundout and the Utes went up by two.
 
The Golden Bears got a run of their own in the bottom of the first on an Elon Butler RBI double, but the visitors restored their two-run advantage when Shelbi Ortiz doubled home Ellessa Bonstrom in the third. After that, the game belonged to Sandez.
 
Utah's senior right-hander rebounded from California's first inning rally by retiring the side in order in the second, then she wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam in the third. Over the next three frames, Sandez permitted only one hit, then, with the tying run at the plate in the seventh, she induced a ground ball back to the mound for the final out.
 
"[This was a] great start to the weekend," said Hogue "There's lots left to do while we are here, though, including stacking some more hits together so we can give more run support to our pitchers."
 
Up Next                                                                                                                                                                       
The Utes and the Golden Bears will square off in game two of this three-game set on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled to be thrown at 12 p.m. PT.
 
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