May 9, 2009
DALLAS, Texas - Utah Valley lost its second one-run game in three days to Dallas Baptist, 5-4, on Saturday afternoon at Patriot Field in Dallas.
The Wolverines (16-33) led in all three games in the sixth inning or later but the Patriots (35-14) were able to come from behind in the entire series in continuing their bid for a second straight NCAA Regional bid.
UVU took a quick 1-0 lead when Jake Rickenbach doubled to right on the first pitch of the game and then scored on Cole Anderson's single.
Both pitchers were in control early. Wolverine starter Brock Sargent kept DBU off the board thru five innings while Chris McMullen allowed just four scattered hits after the early UVU run.
Travis Meiners tied the game with an opposite-field, solo home run to right with one out in the sixth. Sargent then struck out Ryan Goins before Jason Krizan walked on a 3-2 pitch on a borderline check swing, keeping the inning alive. Brandon Bantz followed the walk with a high home run left to put DBU up 3-1.
After McMullen retired the Wolverines in order in the seventh, Dallas Baptist added two key insurance runs in the bottom of the inning. The Patriots had just one hit in the seventh but it came with the bases loaded and one out. All three runners on base reached on a walk when Meiners doubled to right, scoring Austin Knight and Trevor Head.
Utah Valley got three runs back in the eighth to get within a run, 5-4. Anderson singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a throwing error by Knight at second. Jace Brinkerhoff then singled to right to plate Anderson before Billy Burgess singled thru the right side to put runners at first and second and no outs.
Chris Benson nearly tied the game when he flew out to the wall in left for the first out. Sage Thorpe then sacrificed the runners over, bringing Goose Kallunki to the plate.
Ryan Behmanesh came out of the bullpen for Dallas Baptist and got Kallunki to hit a grounder to short, but Goins couldn't handle it. The error allowed both runners to score.
In the ninth, Behmanesh retired Ryan Jones and Rickenbach to begin the inning before walking Anderson. Brinkerhoff then hit a grounder towards the middle that Knight knocked down and bobbled before retiring Anderson on a bang bang play at second, ending the game.
Anderson was 3-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored for the Wolverines. Six other players each had one hit including Benson, who extended his hit streak to 12 with a single in the sixth.
Sargent (2-8) took the loss after throwing six innings, his longest outing of the year, and allowing five runs on six hits on a career high seven strikeouts. McMullen (7-3) lasted seven innings and allowed one run on six hits to get the win. Behmanesh threw the final 1.1 innings, earning his third save.
Utah Valley will close out its 2009 season with a four-game series at Hawai'i beginning next Thursday.
