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Utah Softball Comes Back to Down No. 9 Washington

by Utah Athletics
May 3, 2024

SALT LAKE CITY - Abby Dayton belted a go-ahead, two-run double in the fifth inning and Mariah Lopez went the distance for her 20th win as the University of Utah softball team earned a 5-4 victory over the No. 9 Washington Huskies on Friday evening in Pac-12 Conference action at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.
 
The Utes are now 31-19 overall and 9-13 in Pac-12 play. Washington drops to 31-11 and 13-9.

"Finding a way to win that game was huge for us," said coach Amy Hogue. "There were so many highlights for me. [Leilani] making that play at the plate on a dime that Abby threw was clutch. The catch Reese made was big and so was the hit by Abby and the speed coming around to score. Shonty finding a spot to hit one with a full count and two outs tied the game for us. And Mariah, always being Mariah in the circle, giving us a chance to win every time she's out there for us. Ending the game with a double play was fitting; Mariah threw a perfect pitch and we executed on defense perfectly. Tonight was a great team win."
  
The Huskies were the first team on the board, tallying a pair on a Brooklyn Carter double in the second, but the Utes fashioned a response in the fourth. A walk and an error put two on and Shonty Passi dropped a bloop single into right that plated both runners and evened the score.
 

 
That tie only lasted until the following half-inning, thanks to a solo homer by Brooke Nelson, but that was followed by another Utah uprising. This time, the rally began with a walk to Karlie Davison and a Kaylah Nelsen single, setting the stage for Dayton's heroics. Her two-RBI two-bagger gave the Utes their first lead of the night and another run came across two batters later when Sophie Jacquez bounced into a fielder's choice.
 

 
Lopez then set about protecting her team's 5-3 advantage, starting a with scoreless sixth. The Huskies moved one run closer with another solo blast to start the seventh and an error put the tying run on base soon after, but Lopez stopped the comeback attempt there. First, she induced a fly ball to left for the first out, then got Jadyn Glab to hit into a game-ending double play.
 

 
Lopez is now 20-10 so far in 2024, making her Utah's first back-to-back 20-game winner since Generra Nielson in 2011 and 2012.
 
Up Next
Utah and Washington will square off again on Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
Follow the Utes!
Fans can follow along on social media (Twitter: @Utah_Softball |Instagram: @utahsoftball | Facebook: Facebook.com/Utessoftball).

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