The University of Utah softball team and the No. 25 University of Central Florida Knights played to a 2-2 tie on Saturday afternoon, April 4, in Big 12 Conference action at the UCF Softball Complex in Orlando.
This game marks Utah’s first tie since February 24, 2013, and is only the seventh stalemate in program history. The Utes now hold a record of 25-13-1 overall and are 4-7-1 in conference play.
Utah pitcher Hailey Maestretti delivered a strong performance, pitching six and one-third innings while allowing five hits, striking out four batters, and giving up only one earned run. Her efforts kept the UCF offense limited after they scored early in the first inning. The Utah offense tied the game in the fourth inning when Cian Noli scored on a sacrifice fly by Payton Crank.
Kayla Lyon gave Utah its first lead with her fifth home run of the season in the seventh inning. However, UCF responded with a run to force extra innings. Defensive plays by Danika Wilson were crucial during both extra frames; she made key catches that prevented UCF from scoring with runners in scoring position.
Shelbee Jones finished pitching for Utah without allowing any runs over eight outs. The game ended after nine innings due to time restrictions that prevent new innings from starting beyond a set point.
Looking ahead, Utah will travel to Ogden for their next matchup against Weber State on Tuesday at 4 p.m.
