March 31, 2009
OREM, Utah - Utah scored six runs in the seventh inning to erase a three-run deficit and win 9-6 over Utah Valley on Tuesday night.
The Wolverines (7-19) had a 6-3 lead after Jace Brinkerhoff's two-run double in the top of the seventh, but the six-run seventh catapulted the Utes (12-12), who won the first of three games this year between the two teams.
Brinkerhoff led UVU with three hits, upping his average to .404 on the year. Jake Rickenbach had two hits including a two-run triple, driving in three runs. Sage Thorpe and Billy Burgess also had two hits apiece as the Wolverines out-hit the Utes 14-10.
Utah got two hits, two runs and two runs batted in from Corey Shimada, whose second inning triple scored the first two runs of the game. Michael Beltran then drove in Shimada with an infield single to give Utah at 3-0 lead.
The Wolverines got a run back in the third on an infield single by Rickenbach, who tied the game at three in the fifth when his triple scored Kevin Arendse and Burgess. A pitch later, Ryan Jones singled into center to score Rickenbach and put UVU in front 4-3.
With the same score in the top of the seventh, Kirk Doxey singled to left, Rickenbach walked and Jones reached on an error to load the bases for Brinkerhoff, who ripped a double past first and to the wall in right to put the Wolverines up 6-3.
Utah got some help from UVU in the bottom of the seventh when a hit batter and four walks in the inning aided in the Utes' six runs. With one out and the bases loaded, C.J. Cron walked to force in the first run followed by a double from Austin Jones that tied the game at six.
Reliever Riley Gordon struck out Kyle Myers for the second out and after Kevin Hussey walked, pinch-hitter Tyler Yagi doubled home two more runs when Chris Benson and Doxey collided in left-center diving after the ball.
In the eighth inning, the Wolverines got two-out singles from Burgess and Brandon Hill, in just his second at-bat of the year, but both were stranded.
Then, with one out in the ninth, Brinkerhoff reached on an infield single and Benson hit a ground-rule double to right before Thorpe walked to load the bases, bringing the potential winning run to the plate. Utah's Greg Krause then struck out Brock Sargent and Arendse to end the game and earn the save.
Jory Jensen got a no decision and pitched much better than his line for the night would indicate. Jensen allowed five runs on seven hits and struck out five in his first start of the year. He lasted into the seventh and left the game with two runners on and one out in a 6-3 game.
Kyle Beecher (1-2) took the loss while Robert Chimpky (1-2) got the win after throwing 1.2 innings an not allowing a run.
The Utes now lead the all-time series 16-13 with the schools scheduled to meet again next Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Orem. Prior to that game, Utah Valley hosts Air Force in doubleheaders on both Friday at Saturday. Friday's twin bill begins at 4 p.m. with Saturday set for noon.
