Cowgirls erupt for 6

Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes

OKLAHOMA CITY — It took 29 years for Utah softball to return to the Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. And the Utes will have to wait even longer to get a win in the late rounds of the postseason tournament.

A late-night elimination game against the sixth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls went south fast for No. 15 Utah on Friday night. The Cowgirls got two runs across the plate in the bottom of the first inning to put some early pressure on the Utes, but erupted for a six-run second inning that all but wrapped up the night for Utah.

In the end, Oklahoma State sent Utah packing with an 8-0 win in five innings — Utah's second loss of the day (see below).

"After the first loss today, we just went back to the hotel and just honestly did a reset," senior Ellessa Bonstrom said. "We knew coming back tonight was going to be a fight. I mean, this team has a lot of fight in them. This just wasn't our day. I'm excited for the future Utes because this is going to be a big stepping stone for them. Like last year, it didn't go our way, and so I can't wait to see what the Utes are going to do next year."

Utah starting pitcher Sydney Sandez couldn't get an edge against Oklahoma State batters, who had an answer for nearly every pitch delivered by the senior. Taylor Tuck opened up the inning with a double to left field that was followed by a successful bunt by Megan Bloodworth and a single to left field by Rachel Becker to load up the bases for the Cowgirls.

From there, Utah's hopes of stopping a run with no outs recorded seemed impossible — and it was.

Chyenne Factor singled to left field — the hit prompted an early pitching change from Sandez to senior Halle Morris — Kiley Naomi singled on a ball that just went over second base to center field, Becker scored on a wild pitch that got past Utah catcher Kendall Lundberg, Morgyn Wynne doubled to left center and Katelynn Carwile singled up the middle to put six more runs on the board.

It took Utah getting to the ninth batter of the inning before it recorded its first out — a fly out to center field — and settled the team a bit. But the damage was already done.

In short, the second inning was a disaster for the Utes.

Once the wheels fell off, there wasn't much left to resurrect Utah's chances, despite the team fighting to the end. Oklahoma State pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl was just better on the night to give her team what it needed in the elimination game. The right-handed pitcher delivered blow after blow and recorded three strikeouts and only three hits — two of which came in the final inning — in her five innings pitched.

"She's a great pitcher," Utes left fielder Haley Denning said. "Hands down to her. We just didn't make our adjustments as a team. Just got to see ball, hit the ball sometimes, and we just didn't do that today."

"We knew she threw drop balls, and we just couldn't make our adjustments early enough, couldn't get the ball in the air," Bonstrom added. "It was just a lack of adjustments today."

Utah now holds a record of 1-10 all-time in the College World Series in five different appearances dating back to its first in 1982. Utah's lone win came against Oklahoma State, 2-0, in 1994, when Utes head coach Amy Hogue, a second-team All-American and WAC Player of the Years, was on the roster.

It wasn't the result Utah was hoping for to start its Women's College World Series debut for the first time in nearly three decades, especially against a conference foe that it beat in the Pac-12 Tournament semifinals a couple weeks ago, but they lived to see another game. It just made the path to a national championship that much more difficult.

Utah got on the scoreboard first off a shot down the right field line from Kendall Lundberg that resulted in a double in the top of the second inning. Lundberg's hit sent Haley Denning home after the left fielder hit a double of her own on the previous at-bat.

But it was all Utah could get across the plate in its game against Washington, who equalized (and added to their score) in the bottom of the second inning on a two-run home run to left field from Rylee Holtorf. The Huskies added to the scoring in the fourth and sixth inning to take a 4-1 win in the double elimination tournament.

Utah challenged Washington in the fourth inning with bases loaded after Ellessa Bonstrom was hit by a pitch, but the Utes couldn't capitalize on the next at-bat with two outs. Julia Jimenez hit a pop fly to first base to end the inning, and ultimately end Utah's chances in the game.