SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Starter Danny Beddes threw six innings of no-hit baseball before the Sacramento State Hornets mustered a hit, which was enough to get the UVU baseball team a 5-0 win to even the weekend series. Beddes escaped a bases-loaded jam twice in the seventh and finished the day with two hits, one walk, a hit batter and four strikeouts. The Wolverines posted a four-run sixth inning to take control over the Hornets.
UVU threatened in the third inning when Justin Erlandson drew a one-out walk. After Jordan Schlehuber flied out to left, Erlandson stole second then advanced to third on a wild pitch. But Zac Willis struck out swinging to end the inning with Erlandson stranded on third.
Trevor Howell led off the sixth inning for the Wolverines with a single up the middle, then advanced to third on a single to center by Willis. After Greyson Bogden struck out, Mark Krueger shot a single through the left side of the infield, which scored Howell and advanced Willis to second. Willis scored the next batter as Craig Brinkerhoff hit a ball back to the pitcher, who made an errant throw and allowed Krueger to advance to third. Krueger scored on a wild pitch to take the UVU lead to 3-0. Brinkerhoff advanced to second on the play. Spencer Gothberg capped the inning with an RBI-double to left and the Wolverines took a commanding 4-0 lead.
The Hornets’ Matt Smith led off the seventh with an infield single, which broke up Beddes’ no-hit bid. Smith’s hit briefly breathed life into the Sacramento State bats as Chris Lewis immediately followed with a single to left center. Beddes hit the next batter to load the bases, but Vinny Esposito grounded into a 5-2-3 double play. With runners on second and third, Beddes loaded the bases again after he walked Josh Egan on a full count. Two pitches later, Beddes got Gunner Pollman to fly out to center to end the inning and escaped the jam unscathed.
UVU added one more run in the eighth as Paul Estrada reached on a two-out single to third base. Bogden scored from third on a throwing error by the third baseman to give the Wolverines a 5-0 lead.
Beddes completed his performance in the bottom of the eighth and sent the Hornets down in order. Kyle Valgardson finished the game in the ninth after Lewis bounced into a double play up the middle and Andrew McWilliam flied out to left on an 0-2 count.
UVU looks to take the series from Sacramento State Sunday at 1 p.m. MT at John Smith Field. The Wolverines can tie the Hornets for third in the WAC standings with a win Sunday.
