SACRAMENTO, Calif.—The UVU baseball team was held to just three hits in an 8-0 loss to the Sacramento State Hornets. However, the Wolverines left just one runner on base after grounding into three double plays on the afternoon. Starter Patrick Wolfe took the loss for UVU and allowed six runs behind seven hits, four strikeouts, two walks and a hit batter over six-plus innings of work.
With the game still tied at zero, Mark Krueger led off the top of the second with a single to center. On the very next pitch, Craig Brinkerhoff grounded into a double play to end the UVU threat.
Wolfe put together a strong outing for the first three innings, as he retired the Hornets in order the first time through the lineup. As the 11th Hornet to step to the plate, Trent Goodrich broke through with a single to right center. Two pitches later, Matt Smith doubled to center and Goodrich came around to score. After a wild pitch by Wolfe, Chris Lewis lifted a sacrifice fly to center, which plated Smith for a 2-0 Sacramento State lead.
Goodrich led off the sixth for the Hornets with a walk, which was followed by a double down the left field line by Smith. With runners on the corners and nobody out, Lewis singled to left to score both runners and the Hornets took a 4-0 lead after six innings. Sacramento State posted four more runs in the seventh to put the final margin at 8-0.
Looking for some late-inning magic, Justin Erlandson led off the ninth with a single through the left side of the infield. However, Jordan Schlehuber grounded into the third double play of the day, then Stone Ramsey grounded out to second to end the game. Despite reaching base only one time in the final three innings, the Wolverines put pressure on the the Hornets’ defense late by putting the ball in play with just one strike out among the final nine batters.
UVU looks to rebound from a poor day at the plate with the second game of the three-game series on Saturday, May 7, at 3 p.m. MT from John Smith Field in Sacramento, Calif.
