The Utah Valley University softball team closed the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic with a pair setbacks on Sunday afternoon at the Big League Dreams Sports Park in Cathedral City. After falling to Cal Poly, 11-3 in five innings, UVU's comeback bid in the final game of the tournament against UC Davis fell just short in a 4-3 loss.
UVU concludes its opening tournament with a 0-4 record after previously finding itself on the wrong end of a pair of one-run games on Friday.
Game two vs. UC Davis
With the Aggies (4-3) holding to a 4-0 lead in the last of the sixth inning and holding UVU without a hit, the Wolverine offense finally broke through with four hits and three runs in the frame to pull within a run. Utah Valley junior Kirsten Andersen began the rally with an infield single and senior Courtney Beavers immediately followed with a single up the middle to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Following a strikeout, senior Brittney Vansway delivered once again with an RBI single to put the Wolverines on the board. Junior Taleigh Williams then followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit in half, and freshman Lyndsay Steverson capped the scoring with an RBI single of her own to make it a 4-3 game.
After holding UC Davis scoreless in the top of the seventh, sophomore Eryn Sustayta got the Wolverines off to a nice start with a leadoff double in the bottom of the frame. The Aggies then went to their bullpen, and UCD's Sara Cadona managed to retire the next three batters she faced to strand Sustayta on second base and end the ballgame.
UCD's Katelyn Kibby (3-0) earned the win after taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning, while Cadona was credited with her first save of the season after helping the Aggies hang on in the seventh. UVU senior Bailey Moore (0-2) was tagged with the loss after giving up three runs (two earned) in three innings of work.
Offensively, five Wolverines finished with one hit apiece, and Vansway and Steverson led the way by each going 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Game one vs. Cal Poly
With the Mustangs (6-3) holding to a 4-0 advantage in the top of the third inning, Williams got the Wolverines on the board with a two-run home run to left to cut the deficit in half at 4-2.
Cal Poly then tacked on three more runs in the last of the third to extend its lead to 7-2, before Vansway responded for the Wolverines with a two-out RBI single in the fourth to cut the score to 7-3.
The Mustangs then tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth and three more in the fifth to put the game away via the run rule.
Williams and Vansway led the Wolverines at the plate by going 1-for-2 with two RBIs and a run scored and 1-for-1 with an RBI, a run scored and two walks, respectively.
Junior starter Makayla Shadle (0-1) took the loss for UVU after giving up a pair of unearned runs in opening inning, while Cal Poly's Lindsey Chalmers (2-1) earned the win in relief.
Weekend leaders
Vansway capped her weekend by going 6-for-11 at the plate (.545) with a double, two runs scored and seven runs batted in, while Beavers hit .571 (8-for-14) with three doubles, three runs scored and a pair of stolen bases. Beavers also set a UVU school record for hits in a game on Friday by going 5-for-5 in a 10-9, extra-inning setback to San Diego.
Up next for UVU
The Wolverines continue preseason tournament play on March 3-5, at the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah. There, UVU will face UC Santa Barbara and Utah State on March 3, UNLV and Montana on March 4 and Iowa State of the Big 12 Conference on March 5.
James Warnick is an assistant sports information director at Utah Valley University. For more information about Wolverine athletics, visit WolverineGreen.com.