Feb. 25, 2011

ST. GEORGE, Utah -- Utah Valley dropped a pair of walk-off heartbreakers on Friday to Southern Utah in a doubleheader played at Dixie High School. The Wolverines (3-4) fell 6-4 in 10 innings and 3-2 in the series finale against the T-Birds (4-1).

In the first game, Utah Valley scored twice in the third, on a Willie Pratt single and RBI groundout by Billy Burgess, to take and early 2-0 lead.

Southern Utah answered with three in the bottom of the third before Utah Valley tied it in the sixth. Austin Heaps hit a two-out double and scored when Alex Exon singled to left.

The T-Birds regained the lead in the seventh and were an out away from ending the game in the ninth when the Wolverines mounted a two-out rally to stay alive.

Pratt walked before Chris Benson hit the first pitch he saw into the gap in left-center to tie the game. Benson and Heaps both finished with three hits in the opener.

In the bottom of the 10th with two runners on and two down, Bo Cuthbertson hit an opposite-field home run to left center to give the T-Birds the win. Cuthbertson never crossed the plate though and was credited with just a double and two RBI.

In the second game, Utah Valley trailed 2-0 into the fifth when Pratt singled home pinch runner Derek Amicone and then scored himself on a Benson triple to right-center.

The Wolverines threatened in the top of the ninth when Billy Burgess singled to left with two out and runners on first and second, but Amicone was cut off at the plate for the third out.

Southern Utah won the game in the ninth when Austin Hunt singled home Taylor Shaw from second with one out. Burgess' throw from right was on line and looked to be in time but took a high hop, allowing Shaw to score the winning run.

The Wolverines won the first game of the series on Thursday behind a one-hit pitching performance. The two teams will meet again March 17-19 at Brent Brown Ballpark in Orem.

Utah Valley will travel to No. 18 Arizona in Tucson next week for a three-game series beginning Friday, March 5.