Feb. 21, 2009
PORTLAND, Oregon - Jake Rickenbach's 11th-inning RBI double gave Utah Valley its first lead and first win of the season as the Wolverines (1-2) earned a doubleheader split with a 6-5 win at Portland on Saturday. The Pilots (2-1) won the opening game of the twinbill, 7-2, earlier in the day.
Rickenbach doubled home Kevin Arendse, who pinch ran after Sage Thorpe's infield single, with one out in the 11th for the game-winning run.
Jory Jensen, who pitched 2.2 scoreless innings, got the win after getting pinch hitter Beau Fraser to fly out to center to end the game with two runners aboard.
The UVU bullpen combined to throw 6.2 innings and didn't allow a run on just two hits and one walk. Riley Gordon threw three innings and struck out three while Jensen also struck out three.
"It feels good to get that first win and to get it this first weekend," said Eric Madsen, after picking up his first win as UVU's new head coach. "Our pitching was outstanding all weekend. The bullpen was awesome. It was over and above everything I expected. And we finally started to hit the ball in that third game."
The win breaks a somewhat cumbersome streak for the Wolverines, who hadn't won a game in an opening series in their first five NCAA seasons.
"We're glad to break that streak. It's something we talked about with the guys and they really wanted to end it," said Madsen.
As they did in the first two games of the series, the Pilots jumped out quickly, scoring three in the bottom of the first on a bases loaded double by Bryant Kraus.
UVU got two of those runs back in the fifth on Riley White's RBI triple and an RBI groundout by Rickenbach.
After Portland answered that with two runs in the bottom of the inning, the Wolverines came back to tie the game at five with three in the sixth. Ryan Jones scored on a wild pitch and Chris Benson doubled home Jace Brinkerhoff. Benson then came home after an error, Portland's second of the inning, allowed Thorpe to reach base. The score remained deadlocked at five until the 11th.
Brinkerhoff finished with three hits for the Wolverines while Jones and Thorpe had two hits apiece. Benson's double extended his hitting streak to 20 games, a school record.
In the early game, Portland use three first inning runs, two on a Bryant Kraus home run and a solo shot from Kort Carpenter in the second to take an early 4-1 lead. Utah Valley's only run to that point came when Kevin Arendse scored on a passed ball.
The Pilots tacked on three more runs in the fifth to take a 7-1 lead. Riley Hendricks led off the inning with a solo home run for Portland and Chase Powell later drove in a run on a double.
The Wolverine bats mustered only six scattered hit, all singles, in the game. The last base hit came from freshman White, who drove in his first run in the ninth.
Zach Bennett, making his first collegiate start, took the loss after lasting just one-plus and giving up four runs on five hits. Scott Burris got the win for Portland. He pitched seven innings and didn't allow an earned run while giving up just three hits.
Kole Mickolio threw five solid innings in relief for UVU, striking out six and allowing three runs (two earned). Freshman Brian Whatcott struck out three and allowed just a walk in two innings of work for the Wolverines.
Utah Valley will next play a three-game series at in state rival Southern Utah beginning next Thursday in Cedar City.
