Ellessa Bonstrom homered and Alyssa Barrera hit a two-run triple to lead the University of Utah softball team to a 5-4 victory Friday in the Utes’ Pac-12 Conference opener at Dumke Family Softball Stadium.
In the circle, pitcher Hailey Hilburn kept the Utes (12-13) tied with the Golden Bears (18-8) through four innings before being replaced by Sydney Sandez (5-4), who notched her fifth win of the season. Chantelle Ladner got the final out for her first save of the year.
Bonstrom’s two-run homer to center tied the game at 2 in the bottom of the third. Barrera gave Utah the lead with her two-run triple in the fifth, then scored what proved to be the decisive run on Ally Dickman’s RBI single to center.
The Utes and Golden Bears return to the diamond on Saturday, with the first pitch slated for 2 p.m.
Baseball
BYU 7, Gonzaga 4 • In Provo, home runs by Brian Hsu and Brock Hale powered the Cougars (13-4) to a victory over the Bulldogs (7-9). Hale launched a solo homer to left in the first and added a three-run double in the fifth for the Cougars.
Lacrosse
Fairfield 10, Utah 9, OT • In Fairfield, Conn., Jimmy Perkins, Jake Cantlon and James Sexton scored two goals apiece for the Utes (4-5) in an overtime loss to the Stags (4-3).
Josh Stout, Samuel Cambere and Aaron Fjeldsted also scored for the Utes, who couldn’t overcome four goals from Fairfield’s Dylan Beckwith.