BYU softball ends season with 14-0 loss to Utah

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Ari Davis
Head coach Gordon Eakin talks to Rylee Jensen during the game against Utah. (Ari Davis)

The BYU softball team’s NCAA tournament run came to an end after a 14-0 run-rule loss to rival Utah on Saturday in the Salt Lake City regional.

The loss marked the seventh-straight season that BYU has exited the NCAA tournament at the regional stage. The Cougars’ last Super Regional appearance was in 2010.

Senior Lauren Bell led BYU with three singles while Ashley Thompson, Libby Sugg and Lexi Tarrow each had one.

Utah opened the scoring in the first after a wild pitch by McKenna Bull scored BreOnna Castaneda from third. A sacrifice fly followed to make it 2-0 Utah.

A solo home run from Kelly Martinez in the second made it 3-0 Utah and two more runs in the third extended the Utes’ lead to five.

Senior pitcher McKenna Bull’s final start for BYU did not go according to plan, as she was pulled in the third inning after giving up four earned runs off of four hits.

The Cougars struggled to advance runners today, leaving three in scoring position. In the first matchup with Utah on Friday, BYU left 11 runners on base.

The loss also marked the fifth time BYU was shutout this season.

Utah’s offense continued to dominate, scoring a run in the fourth inning and eight in the sixth.

BYU couldn’t cut into the lead in the bottom half of the sixth, activating the mercy rule and ending the game.

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