Utah Valley University’s women’s softball team secured a 10-1 victory over Utah State in five innings to open the Beehive Classic in St. George on Friday afternoon.
The Wolverines started strong, scoring three runs in the first inning and adding six more in the fourth. This performance continues their early-season pattern of big innings, with the team having now scored three or more runs in 17 separate innings across 16 games.
Pitcher Lily Riley earned her seventh win of the season, recording four strikeouts and allowing one earned run over five innings.
Utah Valley’s offense was distributed throughout the lineup, as every starter reached base at least once and eight of nine recorded a hit. Britney Moreno did not get a hit, ending her eight-game hitting streak, but extended her reached-base streak to 15 games by drawing a walk during the six-run fourth inning.
Angelique Mann contributed two hits in three at-bats, including her first home run of the season and two RBIs. Tatum Hall also homered, going 1-for-2 with two RBIs. Amber Rodriguez and Megan Sterzer each went 2-for-3 with two RBIs; Sterzer also scored twice.
After preventing Utah State from scoring during a two-out rally in the top of the first, Utah Valley responded with Mann’s home run into left field palm trees. Sterzer followed with an RBI double to center, and Rodriguez added an RBI single to right field.
Riley retired eight consecutive Aggie batters from late in the first through one out in the fourth inning. In the third inning, Bailey Marvin doubled before Rodriguez drove her home with another RBI single.
Utah State scored its only run on back-to-back doubles in the fourth inning. The Wolverines answered immediately with a six-run bottom half that included Hall’s leadoff homer inside the foul pole and contributions from several hitters reaching base consecutively. Emma Haygood drew a bases-loaded walk for another run; defensive errors by Utah State led to additional Wolverine runs before Sterzer singled to center for an RBI and Rodriguez reached on an error to reload the bases.
Mya Higareda drove in another run with a single under shortstop’s glove, while Hall brought home Sterzer on a fielder’s choice for Utah Valley’s final run of the frame.
Riley closed out Utah State in the fifth inning by allowing just one hit and leaving that runner stranded at first base.
“Utah Valley will be back in action later tonight against another in-state rival in Weber State. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. MT, with the game airing on WAC International and live stats available at GoUVU.com/stats.”
