Sophomore shortstop Talia Maldonado tags out a player during a game against Utah Valley University on May 7 at the Tarleton State University Softball Complex in Stephenville, Texas. Maldonado had two putouts.
STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS— UTA’s (24-23) season has come to an end with a 5-1 loss to Utah Valley University (30-22) in the quarterfinals of the Western Athletic Conference Softball Tournament.
“We were a tiny bit passive,” assistant coach Elizabeth Mason said. “But I appreciate there was never any quit. We had some hard-hit balls. Some stuff went our way. Some stuff didn’t, but we weren’t out of it until the game was over.”
Heading into this game, both teams were facing elimination and neither wanted to go home. The urgency showed on the field as the first four innings were a pitcher’s duel, with both starters dominating early.
Senior center fielder Marley Neises swings at a pitch during a game against Utah Valley University on May 7 at the Tarleton State University Softball Complex in Stephenville, Texas. Neises had one strikeout.
After giving up five runs in a loss against Utah Tech University, Madi McDonnell, UTA sophomore starting pitcher, said there was no added pressure for this start. McDonnell proceeded to throw four scoreless innings. Payge Armendariz, Utah Valley starting pitcher, did the same.
In between scoreless innings, the Mavericks flexed their defensive muscles, making diving plays, tracking down deep fly balls, defending the bunt and throwing out runners that dared to run on junior catcher Mia McNulty.
The Wolverines eventually broke through in the fifth inning, scoring the first run of the game off McDonnell on a ground ball hit to second base. They got her for two more runs in the sixth inning, extending their lead to 3-0.
Sophomore pitcher Madi McDonnell throws a pitch during a game against Utah Valley University on May 7 at the Tarleton State University Softball Complex in Stephenville, Texas. McDonnell had 10 hits.
UTA brought in sophomore pitcher Maddie Furniss to take over for McDonnell, but the same result followed. A single to center field from Utah Valley scored two more runs and made it a 5-0 game.
The Mavericks had some hard-hit balls off Armendariz, but only scored one run in seven innings against her. The last time UTA was held to one or fewer runs was on March 24, when Baylor University shut them out.
“They just went off speed pretty well,” McNulty said, “We just weren’t executing. I would say it was more us than them. We just didn’t get it done today.”
Fifth-year right fielder Kelsey Creech celebrates with her team during a game against Utah Valley University on May 7 at the Tarleton State University Softball Complex in Stephenville, Texas. Creech had one hit.
Junior third baseman Peyton Holland got the seventh inning started with a double, pumping some energy into her teammates and the crowd. A strikeout and a groundout put Holland on third base with two outs.
An error kept the inning alive and scored Holland to get UTA its only run of the game.
Freshman left fielder Kaylee Schweitzer kept the line moving with a single, but their season ended the very next at bat when sophomore shortstop Talia Maldonado grounded out to the shortstop.
The Mavericks have leaned on their offense all season long, and head coach Kara Dill said the lack of offensive production in this tournament wasn’t the brand of softball that won them games in the regular season.
The UTA softball team high fives Utah Valley University players after the quarterfinals game of the WAC Softball Tournament on May 7 at the Tarleton State University Softball Complex in Stephenville, Texas. UTA lost 5-1.
The Mavericks, who set the program record for most home runs in a single season at 59, entered the tournament with a seven-game home run streak dating back to April. In two tournament games, they scored five runs, hit no home runs and had only two extra-base hits, both of which came in the final game.
Dill attributed some of the team’s offensive struggles to the bye week they got. UTA finished the regular season on April 25 while the other WAC teams finished their regular season May 2.
Despite the team playing below its offensive standard, Dill said she was proud of the team’s unwavering fight and tenacity.
“One outcome doesn’t define you. It doesn’t define what this team has done, the resiliency that they’ve had, the growth they’ve had in their character, in their mentality and their physicality,” she said. “It doesn’t define their career. It doesn’t define our season.”
@diegocllazo