April 24, 2010
CHICAGO -- Kevin Arendse had five hits as Utah Valley outscored Chicago State 21-15 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader in cold and windy conditions. The Wolverines also jumped out to a 14-6 lead thanks to a 10-run third in game two before rain halted the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
UVU is now 20-14 on the year and 10-1 in the Great West Conference. The second game could be called after five if the playing conditions on Sunday don't allow for the game to be completed.
"We kept the pressure on every inning and continued to hit," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "We also hit the ball well with two outs. We scored a lot of runs with two outs and extended some innings."
The Wolverines scored in eight out of nine innings and took a 9-0 lead after the top of the fourth.
Chris Benson hit a pair of two-run home runs, in the first and the fourth innings, and Arendse, Jace Brinkerhoff and Derek Amicone all had two hits through the first four as it looked like Utah Valley would cruise to the win.
Chicago State used five Wolverine errors to climb all the way back into the game and actually took a lead for 1/2 an inning. Two in the fourth, four in the fifth and eight unearned runs in the sixth allowed the Cougars to take a 14-12 lead after six innings.
Utah Valley answered with a five-run seventh. Arendse doubled to start the inning before Austin Heaps tripled, Amicone doubled, Jake Rickenbach walked and Jason Zundel cleared the bases with a triple.
Brinkerhoff capped the scoring in the inning with a sacrifice fly that scored Zundel to put UVU up 17-14.
Chicago State came back with a run in the seventh but Goose Kallunki and Arendse hit back-to-back doubles to open the eighth -- it was Arendse's third double of the game -- and Rickenbach later hit a two-run home run to make it 20-15.
Kyle Beecher earned the win after throwing three innings and allowing one run on two hits. In addition to Arendse's day, Zundel, Benson and Amicone each had three hits as UVU finished with 21 on the day. The Cougars finished with 11 hits with two apiece coming from Austin McDowell, Patrick Hernandez and Albert Carpen.
In the second game, Utah Valley scored three in the top of the first with Benson driving home two on a two-out triple and Kallunki following him with a double.
Chicago State got four in the bottom of the first thanks in part to a two-run William Hill home run and then added two more in the bottom of the second to go ahead 6-3.
The Wolverines sent 14 hitters to the plate in the top of the third, scoring 10 times on 10 hits. Heaps started the scoring with a bases loaded single to left that plated Billy Burgess and Kallunki. Rickenbach and Zundel both singled home runs before Brinkerhoff tripled to score two more.
Burgess followed with his second single in the frame before Benson reached on an infield single. Kallunki then capped the big inning with a three-run home run, his fourth of the series and ninth of the season. Eight of the 10 runs came with two outs.
Meanwhile Ryan Chadwick came on in relief and retired 10 of the first 11 hitters he faced. Chadwick is in line for the win of the halted game after throwing 4.1 scoreless innings and striking out three.
"Ryan Chadwick came in and pitched outstanding for us. What a great job of coming in and commanding the strike zone and attacking people," said Madsen.
Zundel added the 14th run in the fourth with a big home run to left, his fourth of the year and the Wolverines' 11th of the series. He was 5-for-5 through six innings for UVU.
