Lopez Tosses Second Straight Shutout, Utes Blanks Wildcats

SALT LAKE CITY – Mariah Lopez collected her second straight complete-game shutout and her performance helped the University of Utah softball team blank the Weber State Wildcats, 3-0, on Wednesday evening at Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City.
 
The Utes have now won five-in-a-row to improve to 26-17, while Weber State's record stands at 17-22.
 
"Mariah led us so well today," said head coach Amy Hogue. "When she gets half of the outs in a game, it sure makes our job easy on defense.
 
"I was proud of Chloe at the plate today. She continues to find a way to work the count in her favor, find the best pitch to hit, and take her single. Winning is the goal and we did that today."
 
Lopez completely quieted Weber State's lineup to run her streak of consecutive scoreless innings to 15 straight and she did so while allowing only four hits and piling up 10 strikeouts, her second highest total of the season. Through the first five innings, Lopez surrendered only three singles and she struck out multiple batters in the second and third. When WSU did pick up an extra base hit off Lopez in the sixth, she responded by striking out the side, then retired the side in order in the seventh.
 
With their starter in command, the Utes only needed to cobble together one rally to take the lead for good. That outburst came in the third, when a Haley Denning single followed by back-to-back walks loaded the bases with one out. When Shonty Passi hit into a fielder's choice and the ball was thrown away by the Wildcats, two runs came across to break the scoreless tie. Chloe Doyle then made the score 3-0 by lifting a sacrifice fly into left.
 
That sacrifice fly was part of one of Doyle's best days at the plate as a Ute. She would collect a pair of singles as well to finish 2-for-2 and was steady behind the plate as Lopez finished off her shutout that kept Utah's win streak intact.
 
"There are a lot of things we need to be doing better in order to make a late run," said Hogue, "so we will get back to work and keep improving. "
 
Up Next
Utah will take the field at home again on Sunday, when they'll host the Idaho State Bengals in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12 p.m.
 
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