March 10, 2007
Las Cruces, New Mexico - Utah Valley scored eight unanswered runs over the final four innings to defeat New Mexico State 12-6 on Saturday afternoon.
Dan Bulow had three hits and two RBI for UV, Jace Brinkerhoff hit his first home run and drove in four runs and Eli Slesk was 2-for-2 with three runs scored. Slesk is 5-for-6 with three RBI and four runs scored after two games in the series.
Dan Christensen (1-1) earned his first win of the year on the mound after striking out four and allowing one run on three hits over the final five innings.
New Mexico State took a quick lead after Ryan Gibson led off the bottom of the first with a home run. The Aggies added another run in the inning and held a 2-0 lead until the third when Derrick Thomas doubled and later scored on a Tyler Garretson groundout.
The Wolverines scored three times in the fourth, the first on a Bulow double that scored Adam Openshaw, tying the game at two. The last two runs came via a wild pitch when Bulow scored from third and Slesk scored all the way from second.
New Mexico State answered that trio of runs with three of its own to take a 5-4 lead after three innings.
Brinkerhoff tied the game in the sixth when his two-out double down the left field line scored Slesk, starting the eight-run Wolverine rally.
In the seventh, Keiki Albino doubled home Garretson to give UV a 6-5 lead before Bulow drove in Albino on a single to center.
Meanwhile, Christensen retired the Aggies in order in the sixth and seventh, part of nine straight he retired in the game.
Two more eighth inning runs gave Utah Valley a 9-5 cushion, with the runs coming on a double by Thomas to score Austin Heaps and on a single by Albino for his second RBI in as many at-bats.
Brinkerhoff capped the Wolverines' offensive output in the ninth with a three-run home run, the first of his career, that scored Bulow and Slesk.
New Mexico State added a run in the bottom of the ninth for the final 12-6 margin.
The series will conclude tomorrow at 1pm MT. Brinkerhoff is the scheduled starter for Utah Valley. In his last start, the freshman from Spanish Fork threw a complete-game in a win over Air Force.
