May 2, 2004
GREELEY , Colo. – Jeremy Harris and Reno Mendenhall combined to go 9 for 12 Sunday as Utah Valley State (17-15) rallied for a wild 16-12 win over the University of Northern Colorado (26-18) at Jackson Field in Greeley, Colorado.
Harris, batting leadoff, finished the day 5 for 6 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Mendenhall followed Harris in the order with a 4 for 6 day, a double, homerun, 4 runs scored and 4 RBI.
Harris' and Mendenhall's efforts were needed as UVSC squandered a 7-run lead only to rally for seven runs over the final two innings to claim the 4-run win.
UVSC showed few signs of life trailing 11-9 heading into the eighth inning. But then UNC coach Kevin Smallcomb replaced reliever Cary Lott with Tyler Pearson. Lott silenced UVSC's bats for 3 2/3 innings after relieving starter Craig Ayers. UVSC pounded Ayers, the Bear's Ace, for 12 hits and 9 runs through the first 3 1/3 innings. But as productive as the Wolverine offense was versus Ayers, they were equally inept against Lott.
With Lott gone, an impressive UVSC offense reemerged. Pearson retired just one UVSC batter in the eighth before Smallcomb replaced him with Evan Linn following an RBI-triple by Dylan Priest that put UVSC back in the lead 12-11. With three runs already across in the inning, Linn didn't fare much better against the Wolverine hitters. Harris greeted Linn with an RBI-single up the middle and Mendenhall followed with a 2-run blast to left-centerfield completing UVSC's 6-run outburst in the inning to give the Wolverines a 15-11 lead. Both teams scored single runs in the ninth to complete the scoring.
Jed Jensen (4-3) earned the win for UVSC pitching the final 2 1/3 innings and allowing just the single run in the ninth.
The Wolverines surged to a 6-2 lead through two innings scoring twice in the first and four times in the second. Mendenhall singled then scored on a Canyon Vance single for UVSC's first run of the game. Vance later scored on an error by UNC left-fielder Matt Sutton. UNC answered with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the first when Brad Baker singled home Patrick Perry and John Ray.
Mendenhall and Harris struck again in UVSC's 4-run second. Harris had an RBI-single then scored on Mendenhall's 2-RBI double.
UVSC upped its advantage to 9-2 with three more runs in the fourth inning. The Wolverine bats were silenced over the next 3 2/3 innings by UNC sophomore Cary Lott who allowed just two hits and no Wolverine runs during that span. Lott's performance allowed the Bears time to find their bats. UNC scored once in the fourth, five times in the fifth, and once more in the sixth to tie the game 9-9. Matt Sutton provided the big blow for the Bears with a fifth-inning grand-slam off UVSC starter Aaron Tash.
UNC took its first lead of the game, 10-9, in the seventh when Shane Roberts hit a two-out homerun. Perry added an RBI double to push the UNC lead to 11-9, a lead that seemed safe for the Bears, and set up UVSC's late inning heroics.
With the win, UVSC split the season series with the Bears 2-2. UVSC returns to action Tuesday with the third of four games against the University of Utah . First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Larry Miller Park in Provo . The two teams have split the first two games of the series.
