April 16, 2011
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
SEATTLE - Amanda Perez's seventh inning grand slam helped lead Utah Valley to a doubleheader split at Seattle University Saturday afternoon. The Redhawks (8-20, 4-2) won the first game 8-2 but the Wolverines (11-20, 4-2) rallied late in game number two to win the second 8-4.
The two teams will conclude the series Sunday with another doubleheader at Logan Field beginning at 11 a.m. PT/noon MT.
"Everybody did their job in the seventh inning," UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "Christianson started it with the pinch-hit single and Perez finished it with the grand slam. All of the girls did what they needed to do to win."
Down to their last out in the top of the seventh inning in the second game and trailing 4-3 UVU rallied. Maggie Christianson started it off with a pinch-hit single and Meghan Yocom followed it with another single. Mandy Tapia then managed to draw a walk to load the bases. With the bases full, Amanda Robinson stepped up and drew an RBI walk to tie the game at four.
With the game tied SU made a pitching change as the starter Jessica Ulrich was replaced by Richelle Ashburn. With the bases still loaded Perez stepped up and delivered the biggest hit of the game, a grand slam to center field to give the Wolverines an 8-4 lead. Her grand slam barely got over the fence and barely over the outstretched glove of Seattle's centerfielder Sarah Petosa.
UVU's Josi Summers then shut the door on the Redhawks in the last of the seventh as the pitcher went the distance to help the Wolverines to the doubleheader split. Summers earned the win in the game while Ulrich took the loss.
Earlier in the game Deianna Russell gave the Wolverines an early 2-0 lead in the second inning as she belted a two-run home run to left. Her two-run shot also scored Perez, who had previously singled in the frame.
In the third inning the Wolverines went up 3-0 as Perez plated Yocom with an RBI single to right center.
Seattle's offense then got going as the Redhawks scored one run off Summers in the third and two off of her in the fourth thanks to a two-run homer from SU's Jessica Amador.
The Redhawks then managed to take its first lead of the game in the last of the sixth at 4-3 as Ulrich drew a leadoff walk and Hannah Klein then plated her with an RBI double.
Perez finished with a monster game for the Wolverines offensively as she went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and five RBI. Russell also had a two-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
"That was our first late inning comeback all year long and we needed it after dropping the first game," Fairbourne added. "Josi threw another solid game for us. Hopefully we will play off of the win on Sunday and get off to a much faster start."
In the first game of the day the Redhawks took an early 7-1 advantage after the first two innings. Seattle scored three in the first, the Wolverines answered with a run in the second but SU countered with four more in the bottom of the inning.
UVU's Samantha Telarroja singled to lead off the second, stole second and scored on an RBI single from Charlee Cisneros.
The Wolverines stuck with their starter Kyli Flanary in the first game and she settled down and retired SU in order the next three innings to give her team a chance to comeback. The comeback fell short however as UVU could only muster one more run off of Seattle's Ashburn the rest of the way.
UVU's second run came in the seventh as Cisneros got on via another single and later scored on an RBI hit from Yocom. Cisneros led the Wolverines offensively in the opener as she went 2-for-2 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk.
SU's Ashburn picked up the win from the circle in the first game, while Flanary suffered the loss.
