April 3, 2008

SALT LAKE CITY - Three Utah pitchers limited Utah Valley to six hits as the Utes (11-13) evened up the four-game series with a 4-3 win over the Wolverines (5-18-1) on Thursday night at Franklin Covey Field.

Stephen Fife (4-2) pitched seven strong innings allowing just one earned run on six hits while striking out five. Stephen Streich and Robert Chimpky pitched two hitless innings out of the bullpen for the Utah. Chimpky earned his second save after retiring the final four batters of the game.

Andy Jangard (0-2) took the loss after giving up four runs on nine hits in five innings. Kole Mickolio, T.J. Stone and Kyle Kasper all combined to throw three scoreless innings in relief for Utah Valley.

Ryan Jones had two hits to lead the Wolverines, who lost for the second time in three games against the Utes this season.

After Corey Shimada walked and stole second to lead off the bottom of the first, Cody Guymon got the Utes on the board with an RBI single. Utah made it 2-0 in the second when Shimada singled home Tyler Relf.

Brock Sargent scored the Wolverines' first run of the game when Jones drove him in with a single to through the left side in the third.

Utah Valley got some help from Utah's defense in the fourth when two Ute errors allowed Adam Openshaw and Josh Hinckley to reach. Both players scored on a two-out, two-run single by Jake Rickenbach to give the Wolverines a 3-2 lead.

The Utes regained the lead with a pair of two-out RBI singles by Michael Beltran and Relf in the bottom of the fifth. Relf's single brought home Cooper Blanc in what turned out to be the winning run.

The series continues tomorrow at Franklin Covey Field at 6pm before the finale on Saturday at 1pm in Orem at Brent Brown Ballpark.