The Utah Valley baseball team finished the weekend 1-2 against the San Francisco Dons after splitting a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 26, and losing in a 6-3 decision on Sunday, Feb. 27. The Wolverines now drop to a 2-6 record on the season after going 1-3 for the second straight weekend.
The Wolverines, despite outhitting the Dons 40-26, were unable to bring runners home as 33 runners were left on base over the weekend. The Wolverines also surrendered 22 runs to the Dons over the four-game stretch.
The first game of the Saturday doubleheader was difficult for starting pitcher Coop Rust and the Wolverines as they gave up two runs to the Dons in the first inning, one of them being unearned. The Wolverines would then respond with a one-run inning where Kyle Coburn would hit an RBI single to bring home Mitch Moralez, making the score 2-1 but still in favor of the Dons. The Dons added another two-run inning in the third, including a home run by Jordan Vujovich, giving the Dons a three-run lead at 4-1.
Rust would then pitch one more inning before Luke McCollough would come in relief to finish off the game, preventing the Dons from scoring again. However, the Wolverines would not score for the rest of the game either, with the fifth inning being the closest opportunity. The Wolverines were able to get two runners on base with one out, however, Kaylor Yates would strike out swinging and Mick Madsen would fly out.
The Wolverines lost the game 4-1, allowing five hits to the Dons. The Wolverines had ten hits and left eight runners stranded on base with 11strikeouts.
The second game went better for the Wolverines as starting pitcher Mason Gray stranded two Dons runners on base in the first inning. The Wolverines were able to score first in the second inning, with Copper Hansen and Cole Jordan each hitting an RBI single to bring home Madsen and Moralez to go up 2-0. The Dons responded with a one-run score off a sacrifice fly.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the Wolverines would then erupt for five runs off of seven hits. Garrett Broussard started the scoring by bringing home Hansen with a right-side single. Paul Vossen would replicate and bring home Brandon Luna following a pitching change among the Dons. Yates would hit a sacrifice fly to bring Trey Cutchin, after another pitching change Madsen would single to bring home Broussard, and Moralez would bring send Luna home with another single to give the Wolverines a 7-1 advantage. The Dons would only respond with two runs.
The Wolverines would go up another run in the fifth inning with Cutchin hitting an RBI triple, allowing Jordan to score. The Dons would respond with one run. In the sixth inning, the Wolverines would score another run with a sacrifice fly by Hansen which would bring in Madsen. The Dons would respond with just a solo home run by Luke Keaschall.
The Wolverines would then cap off their scoring in the seventh with Moralez bunting to bring in Cutchen. Hansen would follow with a double RBI single sending Madsen and Yates to home plate. The game would go scoreless after the seventh, with the Wolverines routing the Dons 12-5.
Despite stranding twelve runners of their own, The Wolverines were able to score a season-high twelve runs and enforce 20 hits from 44 at-bats with only five strikeouts. The Wolverines also forced the Dons to go through six different pitchers and to leave 11Dons runners on base along with seven strikeouts.
The series finale did not favor the Wolverines. The Wolverines would surrender two runs in the first inning, both being unearned for pitcher Cole Yocum, giving the Dons an early lead. The Wolverines would respond in the second inning with Drew Sims doubling down the line for an RBI double that allowed Broussard to score. The Dons responded with a run to extend the lead 3-1.
UVU was able to get things going again in the third inning after an error was committed by the Dons outfield, allowing Paul Vossen to run home. Connor Hall would then hit an RBI double out to the left-field to bring in Broussard, evening the score 3-3.
After another scoreless fourth inning between the two teams, the Dons would retake the lead after Keaschall’s second home run of the series. The Wolverines tried to respond in the seventh with two hits but left one runner stranded after a strikeout, pickoff, and groundout. The Dons would then finish scoring with a two-run inning, making the lead 6-3, and hold off the Wolverines for the rest of the game.
The Wolverines allowed six runs despite only four hits by the Dons. The Wolverines had ten hits but suffered ten strikeouts and nine runners left on base.
The Wolverines will now travel to St. George, Utah, to take on the Dixie State Trailblazers at Bruce Hurst Field. The three-game series will start on Friday, March 4, at 6 p.m. MT. The match can be streamed on the WAC Digital Network.
