BYU Swept by Utes in Home Opener

PROVO -- Playing on home dirt for the first in its history, the BYU softball team hung tough with rival Utah, but dropped both games of a doubleheader against theUtes, 3-1, and 7-5.

The Cougars took the field in the first game before an estimated 600 fans at Harmon Park. The Utes struck early, scoring a run in the top of the first inning, and tacked on additional runs in the fourth and fifth innings. The Cougars responded in the sixth when a Ute error allowed a run to score, but could not narrow the margin to snag the win. Maryon Dewitt took the loss for the Cougars to fall to 5-8 on the season, while Kristin Arbogast went the distance for Utah.

As close as the first game was, the second game was even closer. Both teams traded runs, and even home runs as Cougar outfielder Brooke Cadiente followed up Nicole Wilkinson's shot with her third of the season. The game was knotted at 4-4 following the end of the seventh inning, forcing extra innings. The eighth went scoreless, but in the top of the ninth, the Utes capitalized on several Cougar errors to score three. BYU answered back with one run in the bottom of the inning, but lost, 7-5. Meghann Pricer took the loss to fall to 4-10, while Arbogast won her second decision of the day to go to 26-15 on the season.

Right fielder Brooke Cadiente led the Cougars with three hits in the games, including a two-run homer and a double, while first baseman Mindi Hanson tallied four hits.

The Cougars fell to 10-19, 2-8 MWC, while the Utes improved to 26-19, 7-3 MWC. The Cougars will take the field again next weekend against San Diego State and UNLV.