OREM — Three pitchers combined for a no-hitter as visiting Utah defeated Utah Valley State 8-0 in softball Friday.
The game lasted only five innings because of the eight-run mercy rule.
Utah pitchers Katrina Cannon, Lindsie Nielsen and Meghan Dyer struck out eight and walked only one batter in five hitless innings of combined work.
"We made some good pitches," Utah co-head coach Kyle Magnusson said. "If they put the ball where they want to, all three of them throw hard enough that it's tough (for the batter) to put anything good on the ball."
After a weeklong layoff, the Utes (21-10) wanted to get their three top pitchers into Friday's game so they would be sharp for today's doubleheader against BYU.
"We haven't played in a week, and I wanted to make sure that they all got some time before tomorrow," Magnusson said. "That's what we wanted to play this game for, was to play for tomorrow, to get ready for BYU tomorrow."
The Utes scored four runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. Because of two costly errors, only four of the eight runs yielded by Wolverine pitchers were earned.
To say that Utah Valley coach Todd Fairbourne was unhappy with the play of his Wolverines (10-26) would be an understatement.
"That was a complete and total no-show by the entire team," Fairbourne said. "I'm glad I came out here at 7 a.m. and busted my (butt) to get this field ready so that they could go out there and mail it in as a team. It was an absolute joke."
Cannon and Dyer will be Utah's starting pitchers for today's doubleheader at BYU, with Nielsen waiting in the wings if needed.