Utah jumped out to a 5-0 lead over No. 17 Arizona Softball Friday night at Hillenbrand Stadium, with the Utes holding the Wildcats at bay for the eventual 8-3 victory in the first of a three-game Pac-12 series in Tucson.
A pair of RBI singles from Julia Jimenez and Sophie Jacquez got Utah on the board in the first, with a Karlie Davison solo home run extending the lead to 3-0 in the second.
After Utah (20-4, 4-0 Pac-12) plated two more in the top of the fourth, Arizona (19-8, 2-2) starting pitcher Devyn Netz — already pulled from the circle but still in the batting lineup — tried to help her own cause with a solo home run in the bottom half of the inning.
But Utah would score again in each of the next three innings keeping its distance from the Wildcats to secure the eventual five-run victory.
Netz (8-7) lasted 3 ⅓ innings, giving up five runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out 3. Utah's Mariah Lopez (8-2) countered with a complete game, allowing three earned runs on four hits.
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Those four UA hits came by way of two from Netz and one apiece from Allie Skaggs and Dakota Kennedy. Netz, Skaggs and Kennedy each had solo home runs to account for all of Arizona's offensive output.
Utah's 15-hit night came off the bats of five different Utes who finished with at least two hits each. Jacquez was 2-for-4 with two RBIs and Ellesa Bonstrom was 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Round 2 of the three-game set is Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium at 2 p.m. The game is to be broadcast via Pac-12 Networks.
Arizona Softball coach Caitlin Lowe discusses how competitive her team is, in addition to providing insight into the play of her team's freshman — for hitters, that includes their composure at the plate; for pitchers, the desire to have the ball in their hands. Lowe spoke to local media Mar. 14, 2023 at Mike Candrea Field at Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium. Video by Devin Homer/Special to the Arizona Daily Star
