Utah Valley Wolverines women’s softball head coach Cody Thomson earned his 100th career win as the team defeated Sacramento State Hornets 4-1 on March 10. Lily Riley pitched a complete game, striking out eight and allowing just one run to help secure the victory.
Thomson is now the second head coach in Utah Valley’s Division I era to reach the milestone, joining Todd Fairbourne, and achieved it faster than any previous coach. The achievement highlights both individual and team progress within the program.
Riley limited Sacramento State to four hits and five baserunners, facing only four batters over the minimum. She also notched her Western Athletic Conference-leading tenth win of the season, moving into the national top ten for wins and becoming the fastest Wolverine pitcher to reach that mark. “Another great performance by Lily Riley. Anytime you throw a complete game on 84 pitches, that usually means a W for the Wolverines!” said Thomson. “I’m also very excited about win No. 100. There’s going to be a lot more to come!”
The Wolverines overcame early missed opportunities by breaking through in the fifth inning with a sacrifice fly from Emma Haygood. Aggressive baserunning in the sixth led to three runs after errors by Sacramento State, with key contributions from Amber Rodriguez, Megan Sterzer, Tatum Hall, Kendyl Purdy, and Ry Binne.
Sacramento State scored its only run on a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Riley closed out the game with two strikeouts in the seventh.
Utah Valley will return home for a six-game homestand starting March 17 against Weber State Wildcats at Orem. The opening game will begin at 4 p.m., with free admission and streaming available on ESPN+.
