April 22, 2011

Box Score

SPANISH FORK, Utah - After dropping the series opener to Northern Colorado 10-1 at the Spanish Fork Sports Complex, Utah Valley bounced back to win the second game of the twinbill 4-3. The two teams will conclude the series with two more games Saturday beginning noon MT in Spanish Fork, Utah.

Wolverine starter Josi Summers improved her perfect PCSC win/loss record to 5-0, as she pitched another complete game for UVU (13-23, 6-4 PCSC). Summers struck out 10 UNC (12-30, 8-2 PCSC) batters while scattering seven hits and three runs.

"Josi continues to win for us," UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "She has now won nine of her last 11 starts and is yet to lose in conference play. On the other side of it, Tapia had a breakout game and Robinson and Russell were big for us again."

"We caught a couple of breaks in that second game and we found a way to take advantage of them. Overall a lot of kids stepped up for us as we were able to bounce back after dropping the first game."

In the second game of the day Amanda Robinson and Mandy Tapia led the way offensively as they both went 2-for-3 from the plate. Robinson added two RBI while Tapia had one. Deianna Russell had the other run batted in for the Wolverines as she finished 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly.

Trailing 1-0 in the second inning of the second game, UVU managed to tie the game up as Russell singled to start of the frame and pinch runner Sydney Miles later scored on a two-out RBI single from Tapia. An inning later the Wolverines took their first lead of the day at 2-1 on an RBI knock from Robinson that scored leadoff hitter Mairaea Tanielu.

The score remained the same until the fifth inning when Northern Colorado put a string of hits together to score two runs and regain a 3-2 advantage. UVU immediately answered however in the bottom of the fifth with two runs of its own to go up 4-3.

The Wolverines manufactured both runs in the frame. Tanielu singled to start the rally, Charlee Cisneros bunted her into scoring position and Robinson plated her with her second RBI hit of the day. After a Bear error, Russell drove home Robinson with a sacrifice fly to right.

Summers didn't have any trouble from the circle holding onto the lead in the sixth and seventh as she retired the Bears in order in both innings. Three of her final six outs were recorded via the strikeout.

In the series opener earlier in the day, UNC took an early 2-0 lead in the first. UVU then countered with its only run of the game in the second to cut the score to 2-1.

That was as close as the Wolverines would get the rest of the way as Northern Colorado's Kailee Vessey and Melanie Buol each delivered a three run home run in the late innings to help the Bears to the 10-1 win.

UVU's Kyli Flanary started from the circle for the Wolverines and took the loss as she gave up nine earned runs. UNC's Kelli Henderson and Jamie Juelfs pitched for the Bears and Juelfs was credited with the win as she pitched four innings of shutout ball.

As a note the series was moved from UVU's Wolverine Field to the Spanish Fork Sports Complex due to ongoing renovations to Wolverine Field. UVU's final five home games of the season against BYU (May 3) and Idaho State (May 6-7) will be played at Wolverine Field.