Wolverine bats make noise in final game of tourney
SANTA CLARA, Calif.—The Utah Valley University baseball team finished the weekend at the Jack Gifford Memorial Tournament in Santa Clara, Calif. with a record of 1-3 after starting three games with cold bats. The bats came alive in the Wolverines’ final game against the UC Davis Aggies in a 10-8 victory.
Game 1
Santa Clara 9 UVU 2
The Santa Clara Broncos scattered six hits and scored five runs over 5.0 innings against starter Danny Beddes. Keaton Asay, Spencer Gothberg, Zac Willis, and Ryne Edmondson recorded one hit each for the Wolverines in the loss. The Broncos sealed the win with a four-run outburst in the bottom of the sixth inning and took the margin to 9-0.
The Wolverines battled back in the top of the eighth inning, but only mustered two runs on two hits by Willis and Edmondson. UVU totaled 10 strikeouts with just four hits.
Game 2
UC Davis 2 UVU 0
UVU put together six hits on the day, but left 12 runners on base. Greyson Bogden led the day at the plate batting 3-5. The Aggies scored in the top of the third off of a balk by Jackson Cofer, who pitched 7.0 innings allowing three hits, one walk, one unearned run, with seven strikeouts.
The Wolverines brought the tying run to the plate, in Mark Krueger, with two outs in the bottom of the ninth with Edmondson on first base, but Kruegar went down on strikes to end the game.
Game 3
St. Joseph’s 6 UVU 0
The UVU bats started to warm up in the second game of the day against the St. Joseph’s Hawks, but a big inning doomed the Wolverines late. Bogden hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth inning to get things going for UVU, then Krueger scored as Willis reached on an error later in the inning to tie the game at 2.
UVU took a 4-0 lead in the sixth inning after Willis reached on another error and Krueger scored again. The Hawks answered with a four-run seventh to take a 6-4 lead, and the margin was too much for the Wolverines to overcome.
Game 4
UVU 10 UC Davis 8
The Wolverines muscled out 16 hits including home runs by Bogden and Krueger. Bogden led UVU with three RBIs on the day. Krueger, Gothberg, and Erlandson added two RBIs each.
UVU got things started with a four-run first inning when Krueger singled to left and drove in Bogden. Down 7-3 entering the bottom of the sixth, UC Davis answered with five runs capped by a two-run Garret Kelly double to give the Aggies an 8-7 lead. The Wolverines answered with two runs in the top of the seventh inning and an insurance run from Krueger’s solo shot in the top of the eighth.
UVU travels to Pullman, Wash. next to take on the Washington State Cougars in a four-game series starting Thursday, March 3, at 5 p.m. MT.
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