SALT LAKE CITY — BYU held a one-run lead through five innings against rival Utah but couldn’t hold off a late rally, losing to the Utes 3-1 at Dumke Family Softball Stadium on Monday.

The Cougars (16-10, 1-5 Big 12) out-hit Utah (6-3) but left five runners on base and also recorded two errors. BYU’s Gianna Mares pitched 5 1/3 innings and allowed just two hits and one earned run. Keila Kamoku and Maddie Udall each contributed two hits and a double.

Lily Owens drew a two-out walk and stole second in the top of the first inning. Looking to extend the inning, Huntyr Ava lined a bloop single into shallow center, but Owens got caught in a run down heading home.

After Mares retired the Utah side in order on groundouts, Udall led off the inning with a single to center. She moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a deep fly ball by Kamoku that dropped at the warning track for a 1-0 BYU lead.

Following a leadoff infield error by the Cougars, Mares put the Utes’ side down in order again in the bottom of the second. BYU put runners on the corners with one out in the third, but two fly outs squandered the opportunity.

In the home half of the third inning, Mares worked around a one-out walk with another ground out to keep Utah scoreless through three.

The Utes got their first hit of the game in the bottom of the fourth, beating out an infield single. Tristen Turlington flashed the leather at second to get Utah’s leadoff runner before turning a double play to get the Cougars out of the inning.

After both teams went down in order in the fifth, Udall popped a two-out double into the left center gap in the top of the sixth, but was left stranded on a BYU strikeout.

Utah loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth and tied the game at 1-1 on a sacrifice fly. Chloe Temples came on in relief and induced a foul out, but the Utes landed a double into right center to score two and take a 3-1 lead.

Kamoku led off the seventh with a single into left but was doubled off on a Cougar line out to third. Looking to prolong the inning with a slap hit, Jaelynn Lambert placed one in shallow right, but Utah was able to track it down, sealing BYU’s fate.

The Cougars return to Provo to host No. 4/7 Oklahoma State in a three-game Big 12 series at Gail Miller Field, Thursday-Saturday, Mar. 21-23.

The Daily Herald contributed to this report.

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