Feb. 21, 2010
TUCSON, Arizona - Chris Benson had a five-hit day for Utah Valley but Arizona secured a Sunday doubleheader and three-game weekend series sweep with an 10th-inning, walk off home run from Jett Bandy to win 8-7.
"We've got to learn from our mistakes but I do think we got better, especially offensively, in each game," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "The first game got away from us but we're going to be okay."
The Wolverines scored six times in the second to take an early 6-0 lead. With one out UVU got three consecutive singles from Sage Thorpe, Kevin Arendse and Goose Kallunki to load the bases. An out later, Jake Rickenbach drove home two runs with a bases-loaded single to put the Wolverines up 2-0.
Benson then singled home Goose Kallunki before Jace Brinkerhoff doubled to score Rickenbach and Benson. Billy Burgess capped the inning with a single to left that scored Brinkerhoff.
Arizona got all six of the runs back in the third. Five different players drove in runs in the inning with Alex Mejia tying the game with a two-out, two-run single.
The score remained 6-6 until the seventh when Benson belted his first home run of the year to center, a solo shot that put UVU in front by a run.
That lead didn't last long though. The Wildcats were able to push a run across in the bottom of the inning on an RBI groundout by Bandy, one of his seven RBI during the twin bill.
Benson had a one-out single in the ninth to cap his 5-for-5 day but was stranded at second after he stole the base with two outs. The Wolverines also had runners on first and second in the 10th but couldn't get the big hit in either inning.
Sage Thorpe and Kallunki both had two hits while Rickenbach, Benson and Brinkerhoff each drove in two runs.
GAME ONE RECAP
The Wildcats won Sunday's first game in a blowout, 18-1, in a game that got away from the Wolverines after a five-run fourth inning.
Arizona scored in five of the first six innings, getting four runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth while racing out to 13-0 lead thru six.
The lone Wolverine run came in the eighth on an RBI groundout by Cole McWhorter, scoring Sage Thorpe. Thorpe finished the game 2-for-3.
Several Wildcat players had big games and got three-run home runs from Joey Rickard and Bandy. Rickard finished with four hits, Bandy and Rafael Valenzuela had three each and all three players drove in four runs.
