UVU Baseball falls to Portland in final game of series

Utah Valley Baseball and Portland finished off a three-game series on Saturday. Utah Valley was trying to avoid the series sweep but was unsuccessful despite a hot start. 

The Wolverines started with offense early in the game, with Daniel Dickinson, Burke Camper, and Calyn Halvorson hitting three straight singles to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Matthew Schwarz connected on a pitch and drove in two runs to get Utah Valley on the board early. 

Isaac Lovings continued his great year from the six spot and drove in a run himself to give Utah Valley a 3-0 lead over the Pilots. 

Cole Jordan sacrificed himself on a bunt to third to put the runners in scoring position to get an additional run. 

The inning ended after a controversial strike three on Nate Bach who had to jump out of the way out of the way of the pitch- but was called on strikes and the lead would stay at three. 

Utah Valley had a quick top of the second where the Pilots got two hits, but the Wolverines were able to get out of the inning in just six pitches thanks to a double play and a long flyout. 

The bottom of the second did not look promising for the Wolverines who had back-to-back strikeouts, but a two-out double from Camper put Halvorson on; he got a base hit of his own to put runners on the corners with two outs. 

Luke Iverson hit a double to drive in two runs, giving the Wolverines a 5-0 lead in the second inning. 

The Wolverines starter Mitch Mueller was pulled after three innings of work including giving up three hits, a walk, and two strikeouts on 29 pitches. 

Mueller’s replacement, Nick Sims, struggled in his relief innings giving up three hits, a walk, and no strikeouts in the first two innings of relief with 38 pitches. 

The Pilots had something cooking in the top of the sixth where they had runners on first and second and no outs. Utah Valley was able to get two outs before Portland got their first two runs of the game after a double. 

But that wasn’t all. 

Jonas Salk of the Pilots crushed a ball to left field and turned the five-run deficit to just one. 

That was the end for Sims as senior Reece Rodabaugh came in relief with a 5-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth. 

Portland got an extra-base hit that allowed another run to score in the top of the seventh, eliminating Utah Valley’s once 5-0 lead. 

Eli Sundquist came in to relieve Rodabaugh and was able to get the Wolverines out of the inning. 

Utah Valley was able to get a man on in the eighth, but nothing was cooking as they headed to the ninth tied 5-5. 

Portland led off the inning with a double, and a wild pitch allowed the runner to move to third with no outs. 

Sundquist shook off the 3-0 count to strike out the ensuing batter, and recorded a ground out, needing one more out to keep the game tied. 

Portland got a base hit, scoring the runner from third, and taking a 6-5 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth. 

Dickinson, Camper, and Halvorson led off the bottom of the ninth looking to make something happen to keep Utah Valley in the game. 

And they did. 

Camper launched a ball over the left field wall to tie the game 6-6 in the bottom half of the ninth for his third home run of the year. 

Utah Valley just got the one run, but that was all they needed as they headed to extra innings. 

In the top of the tenth, Portland hit a ball to right-center field that was not fielded cleanly, allowing a run to score despite a close play at the plate. 

Another base hit put the Pilots up 8-6, meaning Utah Valley would need two runs to extend the game, three to win. 

The Wolverines went out without a fight, suffering the series sweep to the Pilots after losing both games in the doubleheader on Friday. 

Utah Valley will play a one-game series versus Gonzaga on Monday, rounding out their WCC non-conference slate.