Wolverines go 2-2 in Colorado before cancellations

Gavin Lee

March 15, 2022

schedule 6 min read
Sophomore Pitcher Katie Zuniga. Photo courtesy of UVU Athletics and Erik Flores, UVU Marketing

The Utah Valley softball team was able to play four out of the seven scheduled games they had in Colorado. The rest of the games were scheduled to be played against the Colorado State Rams but were canceled due to inclement weather. The team went 1-2 against the University of Northern Colorado and 1-0 against the Rams, bumping the Wolverines’ record to 7-7 on the season. 

The Wolverines were able to accumulate 19 runs off of 33 hits over the four games, with a .284 average in 116 at-bats. Kalena Shepherd accounted for two of the team’s three home runs over the span. However, the Wolverines also had their troubles as they struck out 29 times and left 26 runners on base. 

UVU’s opponents scored 26 runs off 40 hits while hitting a .339 hitting average. The Wolverines, however, only allowed three home runs, stranded 18 runners, and imposed 22 strikeouts. 

The Wolverines started with a Thursday, March 17 doubleheader against the UNC Bears. Defensively, the first three innings of the game started great for the Wolverines as starting pitcher Brooke Carter recorded 4 strikeouts. The Wolverines were, unfortunately, unable to bring in two runners in the second inning as the Bears were able to get out of the jam with a Peyton Prigge strikeout. 

The Bears got on the board first in the fourth with one run off three hits. In the fifth, UNC would then erupt for three runs (one of them due to error) off four hits, going up 4-0. The Wolverines tried to respond in the sixth inning, but two runners were again left stranded after back-to-back strikeouts from Mikaela Thomson and Megan Gibbs.

The Bears had another three-run inning in the bottom of the sixth off of four hits to have a 7-0 advantage. UVU would only be able to respond with one run after an RBI double by Jaedan Barajas brought home Rien Milliken. The Wolverines were then put out three straight times to end the game, falling to a final of 7-1.

Despite having seven hits, the Wolverines were only able to score one run. The Wolverines struck out eight times and left six runners on base. The Wolverines surrendered seven runs from 12 hits and seven RBIs. 

The second game of the doubleheader went better for the Wolverines despite leaving two runners stranded in the first, they were able to score first in the second inning. Laynee Betancur was able to hit an RBI single to center field to bring home Barajas, giving the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. 


The Wolverines were in scoring position again in the third and fifth innings with two runners on base, but UNC was able to get out of the jam both times. UNC would finally score in the fifth inning, evening the score 1-1, but the Wolverines were able to strand two runners on base.

However, the Wolverines would retake the lead in the sixth inning with an RBI single to first base from Victoria Vasquez to bring home Gibbs, moving the Wolverines up 2-1. The Wolverines would then erupt for three runs in the seventh inning. Shepherd grounded up the middle to bring home Linnah Rebolledo. Gibbs singled to left field to bring home pinch-runner Brynne Hilton. Milliken also singled up the middle to bring home Gibbs to cap things off, giving the Wolverines a 5-1 edge. The Bears would only be able to respond with one run, finishing the game with a score of 5-2.

Despite striking out nine times, the Wolverines out-hit the Bears 9-7 and had four walks and five RBIs. Starting pitcher Katie Zuniga never surrendered a walk, had four strikeouts, and only allowed two runs, all while throwing 92 pitches. 

The first game of the Friday, March 11 doubleheader (series finale against UNC and the first game of the Colorado Classic) started as a defensive battle until the third inning where the Bears would burst for a four-run inning off of four hits, taking an early 4-0 lead. The Bears would again score four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to go up 8-0, including a two-run home run by Peyton Gale. 

The Wolverines finally got on the board in the fifth with a single by Madison Carr bringing home Kyla Hardy. The Wolverines scored again in the sixth inning with a home run to left-centerfield by Shepherd to cut the lead down to 8-2. UNC responded with another home run by Gale, going up 9-2.

The Wolverines, despite being down by seven runs, weren’t going down without a fight. The Wolverines managed to get runners on base before Thomson hit a two-RBI single to bring home Rebolledo and Carr. The Wolverines would still have two runners on bases. Unfortunately, Gibbs would get fooled on a pitch to strikeout swinging, ending the game with a score of 9-4.

UVU ended the game with just seven hits, as well as nine strikeouts and seven Wolverines left on base. The Bears batted in nine runners off of nine hits. 

The Wolverines’ sole game against the CSU had a tough start as the Rams scored two runs in the first inning to go up 2-0. The Wolverines would respond in the third inning with four runs. Shepherd would begin the scoring with a two-run home run to right field, bringing her and Carr home. Aubree Hogan would then single to center field and force an erroneous throw to first, which allowed Gibbs and Thomson to score, giving UVU a 4-2 lead.

The Rams would then respond with a two-run home run by Hailey Smith in the bottom of the third to even the score 4-4. The Wolverines resumed scoring in the fifth with Gibbs singling to bring home Rebolledo and a home run by Clark to bring home her and Gibbs, allowing UVU to retake the lead 7-4. The Rams would respond with one run at the bottom of the inning. 

The Wolverines would score again in the sixth inning, with a single to shortstop by Rebolledo that would bring in Vasquez. Rebolledo would then make her way home after stealing second and run around third base after a poor throw by the Rams catcher to go up 9-5. The Rams would respond with just a two-run inning, cutting the lead 9-7. That would finish the scoring as the Wolverines quickly retired the three Rams batters in the seventh to finish the game.

The Wolverines had a series-high 10 hits and eight RBIs. Despite giving up seven runs and 12 hits, Zuniga and Carter combined for 10 strikeouts and only surrendered only one walk.

After the cancellations, the Wolverines will come home to Orem, Utah at Wolverine Softball Field for their opening doubleheader to take on the Maine Black Bears on Wednesday, March 16, at 12:30 p.m. MT and 3 p.m. MT. The games can be streamed via the WAC Digital Network.