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Five-Run Sixth Lifts Utah into Regional Final Utes to play No. 3 Texas at 1 p.m. (CDT).
May 20, 2006 AUSTIN, Texas - A five-run, sixth-inning rally was all the University of Utah (40-20 overall) needed to advance past Indiana (30-25-1 overall) in the NCAA Regional here in Austin, Texas, this evening as the Utes bagged a 5-1 win over the Hoosiers. The Utes now advance to the championship game in this regional. They play the tournament's No. 3 seed and host, Texas, at 1 p.m. (CDT). A two-RBI single by Ivette Hernandez and an RBI single by Jackie Wong plated three of the fifth-inning runs for Utah. But, the Utes also pounced all over three Indiana errors and scored three unearned runs in the melee. Hernandez' shot to right field scored Devina Quintero from third and Sharee Fonoti from second. But, on the relay back to the infield, Indiana pitcher Megan Roark tried to throw Staci Hemingway out at third. Roark threw the ball into left field, allowing Hemingway to score and make it 3-1, Utah. Still in the sixth, after Wong's RBI single, she stole second. But, Hoosier catcher Janetta Deaven's throw went off Wong and deep into center field. Heads-up running allowed Wong to recover from the head-first dive and score. That closed the scoring for the inning, giving Utah a four-run, 5-1 lead. Dyer saw her bid for a no-hitter end in the fifth inning. Kim Richards led the inning off with a frozen rope to left field. Dyer picked up the win in improving to 16-8 on the year.
Indiana also broke the scoreless tie in the fifth. With runners on second and third and one out, Stephanie Pellerito hit a fly ball to left-center field. While Diana Phillips moved over to make the play on it, it was too deep for a play at the plate. Richards scored from third. Utah threatened in each the second and fifth innings. The Utes left the basses loaded in the second frame and had runners on first and second in the fifth. |
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