State colleges: Utah softball team tops UCLA 2-1 in Pac-12 opener

Utah pitcher Miranda Viramontes threw a complete game as the Utes beat UCLA 2-1 in a Pac-12 softball opener on Friday for their first victory over the Bruins in Los Angeles.

Viramontes (6-0) scattered seven hits and had three strikeouts, including one to end the game.

No. 20-ranked Utah improved to 19-4 overall and 1-0 in the conference. No. 10 UCLA fell to 21-6 and 0-1.

Utah scored its runs in the third inning. Ally Dickman singled to left and was lifted for pinch-runner Ryley Ball. After a foul out, Ball took second on an illegal pitch. Following a strikeout, Barrera took an 0-2 pitch to left for an RBI single. Hannah Flippen followed with a hit up the middle and a 2-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, UCLA's Madeline Jelenicki doubled with one out but Viramontes got a pair of Bruin batters to hit balls to the left side of the infield and end the inning.

Utah State 10, UNLV 2 • In Logan, junior catcher Brina Buttacavoli went 3 for 3 with a home run and four RBIs, and senior shortstop Sarina Jaramillo also had three hits as the Aggies opened Mountain West play with a five-inning victory.

Weber State 5, Cal State Northridge 3 • In Northridge, Calif., Riana Splinter hit a two-run single in the sixth inning to lift the Wildcats to a victory in the opening game of the Matador Classic for their sixth straight win.

Baseball

UConn 8, BYU 7 • In Provo, the Huskies scored two runs in the top of the ninth inning to beat the host Cougars and even their series at 1-1. Brock Hale went 3 for 5 and scored three runs for BYU, while Casey Jacobsen and Keaton Kringlen each drove in two runs. The Cougars (8-9) came back from a 5-2 deficit to lead 7-6 heading into the last frame.

Utah Valley 2, Creighton 1 (11) • In Omaha, Neb., Paul Estrada's RBI single in the top of the 11th inning lifted the Wolverines to the victory. Estrada drove in Callahan Moltzan, who had reached base on a one-out single and advanced to second base on a groundout. UVU reliever Logan Hold earned the win, working 32⁄3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, after starter Jackson Cofer held Creighton to one run on four hits over 71⁄3 innings.

Utah-Washington postponed • The Utes' game scheduled for Friday in Seattle was postponed due to rain. The teams are now set to play a doubleheader at 3 p.m. MDT Saturday.

Men's volleyball

No. 3 BYU 3, No. 4 Hawaii 0 • In Provo, the Cougars had 12 blocks in beating the Rainbow Warriors 28-26, 25-18, 25-20 in a Mountain Pacific Sports Federation match. Brenden Sander led BYU with 14 kills, and fellow outside hitter Jake Langlois added 13 kills. Leo Durkin led BYU (18-2, 12-1 MPSF) with 36 assists.

Men's golf

In Phoenix, Utah Valley was in sixth place in the 16-team field after two rounds at the GCU Invitational. The Wolverines opened the day by shooting a 6-over-par 290 in round one before carding a 2-under-par 282 in round two for a two-round score of 4-over-par 572. UVU's JT Timmons was in a tie for sixth place after recording a two-round score of 4-under-par 138 on Friday.