April 19, 2007

OREM, Utah - It took nearly three seasons but Utah Valley got its first walk-off win ever at Wolverine Stadium when Eli Slesk hit a bases loaded triple in the bottom of the ninth to give the Wolverines a 7-6 win over Dixie State on Thursday.

Slesk hit a 3-1 pitch from Chad Povich towards the gap in right-center to score Adam Openshaw, Keiki Albino and Tyler Garretson to give the Utah Valley (16-23) its 3rd straight win. Dixie State fell to 19-17 with the loss.

Openshaw hit the first pitch of the ninth up the middle and moved over to second when Albino singled on a slow chopper to third.

Scott Croshaw sacrificed the runners over to put the tying run on second with one out. Garretson then walked to bring up Slesk, who saw one ball from losing pitcher Ryan Lucero before he was replaced by Povich.

Slesk finished with two hits on the day while Jace Brinkerhoff was a perfect 3-for-3 and an RBI.

Turreal Moore (2-2) earned the win on the mound after throwing 2 1/3 innings of relief and allowing just one hit. Lucero dropped to 3-3 with the loss.

The Wolverines jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a double from Austin Heaps, a Brinkerhoff single and a groundout by Josh Hinckley.

Dixie State starter Cody Hansen stiffened after that though and allowed only a single by Brinkerhoff over the next four innings of work.

In the meantime the Rebels got on the scoreboard when Jesse Stone, Klint Anderson and Kyle Pratt and drove home runs in the fifth.

Dixie State took a brief lead in the sixth when Jordan Daley singled home Blake Mickelson.

Derrick Thomas led off the bottom of the sixth for UV with a home run that just cleared the wall in right for his eighth round-tripper of the season.

Pratt put the Rebels back in front, 6-4 with a two-run home run to right, his fifth of the season.

The two teams are back in action tomorrow night at 7pm with the series finale set for Saturday at 1pm.