OREM, Utah—The Utah Valley University baseball team clinched the three-game season series against the Utah Utes with a 10-4 win at Brent Brown Ballpark Tuesday. With the Wolverines trailing 4-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning, Justin Erlandson sent a double into the right field corner and scored Jeff Arens to tie the game. Two batters later, Erlandson scored on a fielder’s choice to take a 5-4 lead. UVU posted a four-run seventh inning to break open the game and reached the final margin of 10-4.
All nine Wolverines reached base en route to 13 hits and seven walks. UVU was led by Greyson Bogden, 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, and Jordan Schlehuber, 3-for-3, three runs scored and one RBI.
UVU broke through with an early 1-0 lead in the third inning when Bogden singled through the left side of the infield to score Schlehuber. However, the lead was short-lived as the Utes and Kellen Marruffo responded with a towering two-run home run off the scoreboard in right center field in the fourth. Utah plated two more runs in the fifth inning after a Spencer Gothberg throwing error sailed over Bogden’s head into left field then Marruffo grounded into a fielder’s choice to take a 4-1 lead.
The Wolverines battled back as Stone Ramsey kept the inning alive in the bottom of the fifth as he reached base with two outs after an error by pitcher Hunter Rodriguez. Bogden shot a single up the middle three pitches later to set up a first and third situation for the Wolverines. Rodriguez balked in a pickoff attempt to first base, which scored Ramsey and advanced Bogden to second base. After Bogden advanced to third on a wild pitch, Spencer Gothberg sent another two-out single up the middle to score Bogden and bring the Wolverines within 4-3 of the Utes.
Jeff Arens drew one of his three walks on the night to lead off the sixth inning then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Erlandson then doubled down the right field line to score Arens and tie the game. UVU took a 5-4 lead two batters later as Estrada grounded into a fielder’s choice and Erlandson scored from third. Bogden added one more in the inning with an RBI single to left field.
The Wolverines took control of the game in the seventh with four runs on three hits, including Bogden’s fourth hit of the night, a double to right center to score Estrada for his third RBI of the night.
“I think our guys have played pretty hard against them, and I think it’s an area where we know we need to win the in-state games,” said UVU coach Eric Madsen. “So for us to come out and win the series, before we even play the third one’s a big deal for our kids.”
UVU will host the Northern Colorado Bears in a three-game series starting Friday, April 8, at 6 p.m. MT at Brent Brown Ballpark.
