March 29, 2009
RENO, Nevada - Utah Valley made things interesting late but couldn't come all the way back as Nevada held on for an 11-7 win on Sunday in the finale of a four-game series.
The Wolverines (7-18) scored four runs and loaded the bases with two out in the eighth but Sage Thorpe's low fly ball into right-center was tracked down by Brett Hart to end the inning.
Thorpe led the Wolverines with three hits on the day while Kirk Doxey, Ryan Jones and Kevin Arendse each had two hits. Doxey hit a three-run home run, his third of the year, in the eighth inning.
Nevada finished with 11 runs on 16 hits and got a four-hit day from Shaun Kort, who had three multiple-hit games in the series. Five other Wolf Pack (11-14) players had two hits on the day as Nevada scored in all but two innings. UVU had 11 hits on the day.
Nevada jumped out to an early with a four-run first inning. Kort doubled home Westley Moss and then scored, along with Brock Stassi, on Tyson Jaquez' bases-loaded single. Kevin Rodland put the fourth run on the board with a two-out single that plated Nick Melino.
Jones' RBI single in the second scored Thorpe, who singled to lead of the inning, to get Utah Valley on the board. The Wolverines made it 4-2 in the third when Cole Anderson, who was hit by a pitch, later scored on Chris Benson's RBI groundout.
After the Wolf Pack answered with two runs in the third, Arendse led off the fourth with a double and scored on Jones' second run batted in of the day, on a groundout to third.
Matt Bowman doubled home two runs with two outs in the fourth to push the UNR lead to 8-3. The Wolf Pack stretched the lead to 11-3 with single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh.
In the eighth, the Wolverines sent 10 hitters to the plate. Doxey's home run, to left-center, scored Thorpe and Dick Bargewell. Jones followed the homer with a double down the line in left and scored when Jake Rickenbach doubled him home.
Anderson walked, Brinkerhoff reached on the fielder's choice that retired Anderson at second and then Benson walked to load the bases before Thorpe flew out.
Brock Sargent (1-5) took the loss while Jayson McClaren got the win in his first collegiate start. Daniel Tinlin came on in the eighth with the tying run on deck and finished the game to earn his second save of the season and of the weekend.
Utah Valley will now play at Utah at Franklin Covey Field on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before hosting Air Force in doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday.
