"This weekend we had our chances to earn a sweep, but we couldn't play consistently and let two games get away from us," said head coach Dan Powers. "There were several bright spots today, including a two-run double from Kate (Zender), solid hitting from Hannah (Klein), Allegra (Wilde) and Sarah (Petosa), who each had multiple hits."
"I also thought Jessica (Ulrich) pitched well in game one. We need to keep improving and continue to learn to play 21 outs and seven innings," concluded Powers.
Things opened up hot for the Redhawks in game one. As the designated visitors, per conference rules, SU tallied five runs in the top of the second to take an early 5-0 lead.
With an out and runners on second and third, designated player Kate Zender (Enumclaw, Wash.) put serious power behind her first at bat. She sent the ball into the fence in left center, missing a home run by a matter of inches. Her two-run double ignited the SU offense. Karina Smyth (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) added a run with her single to third base and one batter later Natalie Leyland (Richland, Wash.) singled to right field to tally SU's fifth run of the inning.
In the fourth, SU remained hot. Smyth hit a one out double to left field to score Katie Gould (Medford, Ore.) from first. Allegra Wilde (Kennewick, Wash.) then hit a two out two RBI double to right field and Hannah Klein (Camarillo, Calif.) closed out the scoring with a double to right center to make it a 9-0 game.
Wilde tallied a pair of doubles, two runs and three RBIs in Sunday's action.
Seattle U's Sarah Petosa (Auburn, Wash.) added the Redhawks final run in the top of the fifth. She hit an RBI single to left field to give SU a 10-0 advantage.
Petosa had three hits, a run and an RBI on the day.
Utah Valley added three runs in the bottom half of the inning and a solo run in the seventh, but their late runs were not enough to swing the game momentum.
Starting pitcher Jessica Ulrich (Lewiston, Idaho) threw 7.0 innings, scattering eight hits and holding the shutout until the fifth inning. She also threw four strikeouts.
In the series finale, SU jumped out early with a 2-0 lead. Wilde hit her second double of the day to send home the Redhawks first run of the game. Klein followed with a double of her own to score Wilde and send the game into the bottom of the first.
Klein led the Redhawks on the day, going 4-for-6, with two runs, two RBIs and a walk. She had a pair of doubles in Sunday's action, to bring her weekend total to three versus UVU.
Utah Valley evened things up in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs and took their first lead of the day with a solo run in the third inning.
Gould's infield RBI single in the fourth inning evened things up 3-3.
In the bottom of the fifth Utah Valley squandered SU's chances of earning the season series. They tacked on three runs in the inning to seal the split.
Pitcher Richelle Ashburn (Post Falls, Idaho) threw 6.0 innings and had five strikeouts in 27 batters faced.
The Redhawks (9-25 overall, 5-3 PCSC) will conclude the home half of the 2011 schedule with a four-game series with Portland State. SU and PSU will faceoff on Friday, Apr. 22 to Saturday, Apr. 23. First pitch is set for 12 noon on both days.