March 31, 2007

Orem, UT - A furious rally mounted by the Utah Valley State baseball team fell short as the Wolverines dropped the first game of a doubleheader to South Dakota State, on Saturday, 10-9. Utah Valley trailed 10-0 after the top of the fourth inning but then scored nine runs over the next six innings to come with in one run.

The Wolverines had the winning runs at first and second with one out but the game ended when Dick Bargewell hit into a double play.

The loss drops the Wolverines to 7-17 while South Dakota State improved to 12-11.

Bryan Smith took the loss for the Wolverines as he gave up nine hits and 10 runs in three and 2/3 innings. Ryan Chadwick came in and tossed five strong innings, striking out three and scattering four hits.

Utah Valley had 14 hits and SDSU had 13. Derrick Thomas, Austin Heaps, Jace Brinkerhoff, Keiki Albino and Ryan Jones all had two hits.

Utah Valley's first run came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Thomas led off with a single to left-center and he later advanced to third after Austin Heaps and Brinkerhoff grounded out. Bargwell then smacked an RBI double to right field to score Thomas.

UV cut the SDSU lead to 10-3 in the fifth after Eli Slesk hit a two-out two-run homerun over the left-center fence in the fifth inning. Slesk drove in Adam Openshaw, who reached base on a walk.

Another run was scored when Bargewell sacrificed home Heaps, who led off the inning with a double to right-center.

Utah Valley got within four runs at 10-6 in the seventh. With two outs, Slesk walked and later advanced to second on a throwing error by the South Dakota State. Thomas then homered to right field to bring UV within four runs.

Heading into the final stanza, the Wolverines trailed 10-7. Openshaw led off the ninth inning with a single to left. Slesk then reached on a South Dakota State fielding error and Thomas walked. Heaps then hit a two-RBI single to right, scoring Openshaw and Slesk.