Wolverines losing streak continues to four-games against in-state rivals

Gavin Lee

March 25, 2022

Mikaela Thomson gets ready to swing (Photo courtesy of UVU Athletics).
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The Utah Valley softball team has now lost four straight games after going 0-2 against in-state rivals Weber State on Tuesday, March 22 and Utah State Wednesday, March 23. The Wolverines now drop to a 3-7 record on the road and below .500 at 10-11 on the season.

Despite having 13 hits, the Wolverines were only able to score three runs during the two-game stretch with all of them in the second game. The Wolverines struck out 11 times and left 13 runners stranded. UVU’s pitching staff suffered a whopping .352 hitting average and 15 runs off 19 hits, 12 RBIs, and nine walks by their opponents.

The Wolverines faced the WSU Wildcats in the first game of the two-game road trip at Wildcat Field in Ogden, Utah. The Wolverines got off to a quick start in the first inning, getting Madison Carr and Brynne Hilton (pinch-running for Kalena Shepherd) in scoring position. However, Wildcat starting pitcher Arissa Henderson would get out of the jam by striking out Mikaela Thomson to end the inning. 

The Wildcats responded in the bottom half of the first with a leadoff double by Mia Rushton. McKell McCuistion then doubled to left field to bring Rushton home, taking a 1-0. However, UVU starting pitcher Joslyn Thieme would respond with three-straight strikeouts to bring the inning to a close. 

After a defensive second inning by both teams, the Wolverines again knocked on the Wildcats door with Carr and Shepherd on the corners of the diamond. Unfortunately, the inning would end with a groundout to third by Thomson. 

WSU answered with a six-run inning in the bottom of the third, starting with the bases loaded and no outs. A hit by Wildcat Chloe Camarero who reached base on a fielder’s choice and then forced an erroneous throw by Wolverine shortstop Rylee Thorpe allowed Rushton and Makayla Donahoo to score, allowing WSU to go up 3-0. Faith Hoe followed with tearing a double RBI triple to center field, scoring Camarero and Marissa Cerda. WSU pitcher Henderson then crushed a two-run homer to bring her and Hoe home, giving the Wildcats a 7-0 advantage. After the homerun, UVU reliever Anna Bergerin came in for Thieme and prevented the Wildcats from scoring. 

Henderson continued her strong outing for WSU with three strikeouts in the fourth to end her day. The Wolverines never had an answer offensively for the rest of the game, with only getting two runners on base for the rest of the game. The Wildcats threatened to score again in the bottom of the fifth with Hoe and Noelle Foster on second and first, respectively. However, Berger was able to escape the jam after a groundout to second by pinch hitter Mika Chong.

The Wolverines lost to the Wildcats 7-0, marking the first shutout against UVU this season. The Wolverines were only able to accumulate four hits and left six runners on base. WSU had 11 hits and six RBIs on offense, with their pitching staff striking out eight Wolverines. 

UVU starting pitcher Brooke Carter had a rough start against USU at Johnson Field in Logan, Utah, as she surrendered a two-run home run blast down the infield line by Lexi Orozco to score her and Gabriella Jiminez, giving the Aggies an early 2-0 lead. 

The Wolverines attempted to respond in the top of the second inning with Megan Gibbs and Thorpe each singling to reach first and second base, respectively. However, the inning ended after Kyla Hardy grounded a comebacker to Aggies starting pitcher Mia Reynolds. 

The Aggies were able to get runners on the corners in the bottom of the third inning after a triple by Makenzie MacFarlane and an Orozco walk to first. Fortunately for the Wolverines, Brooke Carter remained unfazed and forced a groundout from Zaia Castruita to end the inning. 

Thomson got the Wolverines in the top of the fourth with a solo moonshot to right field, cutting the Wolverine deficit 2-1. 

The Aggies, however, responded in the bottom of the fourth starting with a bunt by Claudia Medina to bring home Tyler Thornton and Bri Lerma after a misstep by the UVU infield, capturing a 4-1 USU lead. Libbie Hawker then brought Medina home after doubling to center field. After surrendering a Macfarlane walk, Carter was relieved by Katie Zuniga. Zuniga would surrender back-to-back walks to Claire Raley and Jiminez for the Aggies to load up the bases. Orozco then launched a sacrifice fly to second to bring home Macfarlane, extending the Aggies lead 6-1. Zuniga ended the inning striking out Castruita, leaving two Aggies stranded.

The Aggies continued strongly in the bottom of the fifth with Macfarlane and Lerma, respectively, reaching second and third base. Hawker then singled to Zuniga; however, an overthrow by Zuniga to first allowed Sydnee Smith and Lerma to score, giving USU an 8-1 edge. The inning ended after Macfarlane was gunned down trying to make it home.

The Wolverines responded in the top of the sixth with another home run by Thomson that also scored Linnah Rebolledo, closing the USU gap 8-3. The inning would end for UVU after a strikeout by Hardy.

USU attempted to score again in the bottom of the sixth with Lerma and Castruita reaching first and second. However, UVU second baseman Hardy would gun Lerma down after throwing to shortstop Thorpe.

The Wolverines weren’t going down without a fight, despite trailing 8-3 heading into the seventh. Carr and Rebelledo reached second and first after both had base hits. Unfortunately, the valiant effort came to an end after a strikeout by Thomson to end the game.

The Wolverines, despite hitting nine times and only striking out three times, were only able to score three runs and were unable to cash in seven runners on base. Carter and Zuniga combined for six strikeouts and seven stranded runners; however, the Aggies were still able to score eight runs off eleven hits and six RBIs.

After going 1-4 on their road trip against in-state rivals, the Wolverines will make their return home to Wolverine Softball Field in Orem, Utah to take on the WAC West Division rival Seattle University. The series begins with a doubleheader on Friday, March 23 with game one beginning at 1 p.m. MT and game two commencing at 3:30 p.m. MT. All games for the series can be streamed via the WAC Digital Network.