The Utah Valley University women’s softball team boasted solid performances in a four-game series against CSU Bakersfield, March 29-30. After winning the first two of the series, the lady Wolverines came up just short in game four but still led the series 3-1.
Game one of the series went extremely well for UVU. After shutting out CSU for four innings, allowing only one hit against her and no runs earned, senior Tiffany Mills was able to sit the fifth as the Wolverines blew out CSU 10-1 in game one of the series. The game could not have been put to rest so early without a stellar performance from catcher Jazmyne Cortinas, who recorded three RBIs alone in game one of the series.
Game two of the series followed suit as the Wolverines pummeled CSU through seven innings. Mills started as pitcher once again and had only one run earned against her. She rounded off day one of the series with seven strikeouts and batters hitting a mere .097 against her in 10 innings. Second baseman Dynasty Lauvai stepped up big in this game for the Wolverines and recorded three RBIs of her own in game two, bringing her total up to five for the first day while going two for six.
The Lady Wolverines returned for day two of the series to find CSU sticking with their same pitching rotation as they had the day before, with Kelsie Monroe pitching the first game. After allowing four earned runs against her in the first game, Monroe was not so eager to let the Wolverines run their way around them again. After holding the Wolverines scoreless through the first six innings, it wasn’t looking good for UVU, trailing 0-1 with just one out left in the seventh. With Charlee Cisneros and Morgan Summers on base, junior Amanda Robinson stepped to the plate and crushed the ball over the centerfield wall for her fourth home run of the year, giving UVU its third victory of the series at 3-1.
Josi Summers had an excellent performance pitching in game three after not seeing the mound at all in day one. With only one run earned against her off a double to left center from Shay Fryer, which allowed Laura King to get CSU’s only score of the game, Summers managed to shut out CSU in the seventh to set the Wolverines up for the heart-stopping finish to game three.
Game four of the series did not go so well for the Wolverines. They dropped their only game of the series after being shut out through seven innings, resulting in a final score of 0-2.
After a short slump early in the season, the women’s softball team holds a 20-12 record, and with over half of their remaining games being held locally, the Wolverines are showing a lot of promise for what they can do the rest of the season.
By Weston Brierley
