May 29, 2010
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EDINBURG, Texas - Kevin Arendse's 10th-inning, walk-off base hit put an exclamation point on a storybook season for Utah Valley as the Wolverines came from behind to defeat Northern Colorado 4-3 in the Great West Tournament Championship on Saturday at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
UVU trailed 3-1 in the eighth when Goose Kallunki delivered a two-out, two-run single to left to tie the game and Arendse ended it when he singled home tournament MVP Chris Benson with one out in the 10th.
Utah Valley finishes the season with a 42-17 record -- and on a 14-game winning streak -- and with both the GWC regular season and tournament titles.
"I've never been around a team like this. They rely on each other. It's one guy after another," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "They've made it so easy for me to coach. You know they're going to get it done."
"This has been the best year of my life...the best four years of my life," said senior Jace Brinkerhoff. "I couldn't imagine a better way to go out. Coming from behind, I couldn't have written it up better. It's been a team effort all year. Fighting it out all year and finding ways to get it done. This is the best team I've been around. It's special."
Kallunki, Sage Thorpe and Zane Gray also earned all-tournament honors along with Benson.
Northern Colorado scored once in the second and two times in the fourth to lead 3-0 and got a strong start from conference pitcher of the year Joe Sawicki, who sailed thru the first four innings - allowing just two baserunners.
In the top of the fifth, Craig Brimhall came on with the bases full and just one out and struck out Mike Raudenbush and got Mark Shannon hit a grounder to Brinkerhoff at third to end the threat.
The Wolverines got on the board in the bottom of the fifth, using an error and three singles in the inning to score. Kallunki came in on a base hit by Thorpe but Arendse was thrown out at home in the inning and UVU stranded three and still trailed 3-1.
In the eighth, Billy Burgess singled with two outs and Benson reached when the throw from Casey Coy at third was wide and he was ruled safe at first.
After Benson moved up on a good read on a ball in the dirt, Kallunki came through with the single.
Brian Whatcott pitched a perfect ninth and then allowed just an infield single in the 10th, striking out two to keep any UNC threat at a minimum.
In the winning inning, Benson singled with one out and then went to third on Kallunki's second hit of the game. Arendse then hit the first pitch from Brendan Hall into left to end it and the entire dugout chased the senior catcher around second and the dog-pile ensued near third base.
Utah Valley finishes the year with 24 more wins than it had a season ago and currently has the top team batting average in the country, .372.
Brinkerhoff is the most prolific hitter in school history. He batted .456 in 2010 with 118 hits and drove in 85 runs. He has a career .400 batting average, 350 hits, 30 home runs and 195 RBI and earlier this week was named the Great West Conference Player of the Year.
Arendse, in his four-year career at UVU, has a .310 batting average after hitting a career-high .338 and Thorpe - in two seasons in Orem - has a .379 average.
"I don't think I'm more proud of a guy than Sage. He went into a slump and was out of the lineup and to come back and do what he did this tournament was unbelievable," Madsen said.
"And Kevin Arendse, that's the toughest kid I've ever been around as a coach. He was there all the time and for him to do what he did right there, is there a better dream ending? And Jace Brinkerhoff, you can't replace him. You can't replace him. All three of those guys are irreplaceable."
