April 26, 2008

OREM, Utah - Utah Valley won the opening game of a doubleheader 10-9 to secure a win of the three-game series against in-state rival Dixie State. The Wolverines (11-26-1) took a big early lead and held off the Rebels (22-21) late to win just their second one-run game of the season.

In the series finale, Dixie State hammered out 20 hits and used five UV errors to cruise to a 16-5 win.

In Saturday's opener, a seven-inning game, Dixie scored a single run in the first before the Wolverines plated four runs in each of the first two innings to take a quick 8-1 lead.

After Cole Anderson scored following a throwing error, Kevin Arendse drove in Jace Brinkerhoff with a single to right. Two batters later, Jake RIckenbach singled to left to score Arensde and Kai Hatch to put UV up 4-1 after one.

In the second, four different players drove in a single runs with Arendse picking up his second RBI in two innings on a base hit up the middle. Ryan Jones, Brinkerhoff and Scott Croshaw all had hits to score runners in the inning.

Dixie clawed its way back though, with Brett Adams' third inning double cutting the lead to five runs and Matt Rynearson making it 8-6 on a three-run blast in the fourth.

Rynearson, whose fourth inning homer was his first of the season, capped a perfect day with another blast in the sixth, this one to straightaway center, to cut the Wolverine lead to a single run.

Adam Openshaw provided some insurance in the bottom of the sixth when he lined a Jayson Madson pitch over the wall in right-center for a two-run home run, giving UV a 10-7 advantage.

Openshaw's home run proved huge in the seventh when, following a lead off walk to Adams, Jimmy Dever hit a big home to left to get the Rebels back within one.

But Bryan Smith retired the next three hitter to earn his first win after pitching three and 1/3 innings in relief.

Rickenbach and Arendse both went 2-for-3 with two RBI while Jones had three hits and Anderson two. Rynearson was 3-for-3 with two home runs, a double and four batted in for Dixie State.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Rebels led from start to finish after taking a 6-1 lead after three innings. Dever hit a three-run home run as part of a four-run third to give Dixie the five-run lead.

Dixie hit four home runs in the finale and built a comfortable 12-2 lead in the seventh before both teams scored late runs for the final 16-5 score.

Adams was 5-for-6 with a home run, double and three batted in. Six of Dixie's nine starting hitters had at least two hits in the game with Alex Rosenhan and Mickelson both picking up three hits each.

Utah Valley won the three-game series after Thursday's 14-4 win but Dixie earned the edge in the season series, 3-2, because of two wins earlier in the year in St. George.

The Wolverines will be back in action on Tuesday at Noon in a doubleheader against Northwest Nazarene.